Greens move to end leases inheritance

A draft law to amend existing rent laws by ending the inheritance of leases except between spouses will be sent to all MPs by Alternattiva Demokratika.

"The inheritance of leases is a major cause of injustice to the owners of controlled rent properties, leaving them deprived of their properties without compensation for generations," AD chairman Harry Vassallo said yesterday.

Dr Vassallo said there are about 17,000 buildings which were rented for a pittance, to the detriment of the owners who are still in duty bound to take care of the upkeep of the place. He said a census was expected to be carried out in November, adding that no government has taken an interest in collating information.

He said the rent laws have created a property culture, explaining that nobody wanted to rent to Maltese people because problems related to renting were deeply ingrained in our psyche while at the same time forcing people to buy homes because it was difficult to rent.

Last month AD embarked on a campaign to collect 30,000 signatures to abolish the rent laws. Asked how many signatures had been collected, Dr Vassallo said they were "still a long way off" from the target. He said the signatures had not yet been counted.

The majority of buildings affected by the rent laws were found in the older regions of the island, mainly the harbour area.

Dr Vassallo said there was nothing preventing MPs from presenting AD's Bill to Parliament, adding that any MP who had reservations or would like to include some further provision was welcome to do so as long as the inheritance of leases remained the object of the proposed law.