A Rent Authority should be established to protect tenants from “the jungle” of unscrupulous landlords and piecemeal regulations, the General Workers Union believes.
The union unveiled its recommendations for the upcoming rental market reform, which the union believes “needs to put a human face on this new liberal politics”.
The proposed Rent Authority would act as a regulator and incorporate a tribunal to settle disputes. It would also include an enforcement unit and oversee the harmonization of new and existing laws.
Breaking with contractual obligations should be considered a criminal offense: “to weed out abuse once and for all”.
The GWU also believes properties on the rental market should be registered and classified according to their floor plan and quality. Tenants, the union believes, should pay a fair price, and landlords should get what they deserve without putting undue pressure on renters.
And, increases should be linked to the increase in cost of living, the union said.
The GWU also believes the government had an obligation to increase the supply of properties available for rent, to meet the demand.
Asked to identify their main concerns, the union said it had held working groups with its members who complained mostly of not being able to afford rental prices anymore, and being subject to landlords who abused of lack of regulations.
"We are going to lobby the government hard on this issue as we know the status quo cannot go on. Some might argue that the free market should be left to operate, but people, especially the most vulnerable in our society, need to have peace of mind over where they sleep at night," union general secretary Josef Bugeja said.
The union is also putting forward a set of technical recommendations, such as the setting of a deadline by which tenants and landlords should start discussing whether or not to extend a contract; six months before the end of the current contract period.
A long let contract should be for no less than four years, will short let contracts should meet set requirements.