In his short speech outlining the motion, titled Letting Agents (Competition, Choice and Standards), Mr Healey stated that the measures included in the Bill on letting agents regulation were "unfinished business" for him, as his reforms on this issue from when he was Housing Minister in the previous Labour Government were abandoned by the Coalition Government.
He outlined the problems that "generation rent" face in the private rented sector, such as the lack of consumer protection, no system of redress and no legal right to a written tenancy contract. Mr Healey also spoke about the issue of fees, highlighting the recent report by Shelter on this issue.
During his speech, Mr Healey made references to a number of organisations that were supportive of his call for more regulation in the sector - including ARLA - and spoke about the recent redress clause added to the ERR Act, which he said was "widely seen as necessary but nowhere near sufficient". He said that his Bill would go further but including a legal right to a written tenancy agreement, a ban on agency charges beyond a deposit and rent in advance, and a mandatory national licensing of all agents.
Mr Healey's motion was agreed to without opposition, and his Bill is due to receive its Second Reading on Friday 18 October 2013. The full transcript of the debate can be found here.
