Rent reform

With reference to the letter Rent Laws (August 4) and other similar contributions which have appeared in local media, the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity would like to clarify the following.

Minister Dolores Cristina will present a White Paper on Rent Laws for public consultation once Cabinet approves the final draft and gives the go-ahead for its publication.

Minister Cristina has already presented three memos to Cabinet on the matter of Rent Laws Reform: the first on November 29, 2004; the second on July 25, 2005; the third on January 16, 2006 with proposals for a draft White Paper.

In her public statements, Minister Cristina was consistently clear in referring to proposals for Cabinet's deliberation. It is only subsequent to Cabinet's approval that Minister Cristina will be able to publish the White Paper.

Work at the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity has been on-going. The Cabinet has directed Minister Cristina to evaluate the results regarding population and housing from the latest census which would give a more complete scenario with regards to landlords and tenants.

The Ministry is now waiting for these statistics, as well as an analysis of similar rent reforms carried out in foreign countries, which will in turn give the necessary backbone to the proposals to be lodged in the White Paper. The Prime Minister has given Minister Cristina a brief to take the final proposal up to Cabinet by the end of October.