[WATCH] No one should lose their home over pre-1995 rent laws, Roderick Galdes says

Government will seek a balance between protection for tenants and justice for landlords in drafting a course of action on pre-1995 rents, Social Housing Minister Roderick Galdes said.

He insisted no one should lose their home as a result of old rent protection laws that have been struck down multiple times by court decisions.

“Every government's intention is for no one to lose their home, but we also need to talk about justice for landlords, as we did for the reform in liberalised rents… we have to go about it in a serious way whereby we create no friction in the market,” Galdes said.

He said the government had to engage in a transparent and professional process with regards to the pre-1995 rent laws.

“There is no doubt that we need to evaluate the subsidy levels or general help that government is ready to give to this sector in order to create a positive balance,” he remarked.

Galdes emphasised that this isn't an issue that should be politicised or discussed in a partisan manner. “We're talking about people. We want protection for tenants and justice for landlords,” he added.

Several families and individuals are experiencing possible eviction as landowners continue to take tenants and the State to court over a law that protects rents from before 1 June 1995. Most of the tenants are elderly people.

Rents established prior to this date are protected by law, and tenants have the right to remain in that property as long as they honour their obligations, including the payment of rent in a timely manner. Since these rents are protected, landlords cannot raise the rental price in order to reflect market levels, often having to rent out their property at 1-2% of its present market value.

However, a 2019 court ruling declared the law unconstitutional, setting a precedent for court cases to come.