CONSERVATIVE MPs, including three from across the Royal Borough and South Bucks, voted to turn down a Labour amendment to ensure landlords keep homes in a liveable standard.

Theresa May, MP for Maidenhead, Adam Afriyie, MP for Windsor and Dominic Grieve, MP for Beaconsfield all voted against amendment 52 of the housing and planning bill, heard in the house of commons last week.

Mrs May said: “All homes should be of a decent standard and all tenants should have a safe place to live in. Local authorities already have strong and effective powers to deal with poor quality and unsafe accommodation.

“The amendment put forward by the Labour Party would have resulted in unnecessary additional regulation and cost to landlords, which would deter further investment and push up rents for tenants.”

Mr Grieve is one of more than 70 MPs who voted on the proposal and are residential landlords. He has declared on his residential interests that he owns a house in London which generates rental income.

He said: “I voted with the government.

“The basic reason is that tenant leases already provide what the landlord is responsible for and they are enforceable in court.

“To introduce a legal amendment into what is a private relationship is I think questionable. There are already very clear rules outlining what a landlord should provide.

“The fact I have let property means I have some of the understanding of what landlords face but I have never had it suggested that my property is not liveable. The issue as far as I’m concerned is unrelated.”

Mr Afriyie did not respond to The Observer’s requests for comment in time for publication.

Labour MP, The Rt Hon Ms Fiona Mactaggart who represents Slough voted in favour of the proposal. She said: “There are now 11 million private renters in England, but nearly a third of private rented homes do not meet the decent homes standard.

“This new Clause would place a duty on landlords to ensure that their properties are fit for habitation when let and remain fit during the course of the tenancy.

“It would give tenants contractual protection to ensure that all rented properties meet a set of basic standards throughout the tenancy. Unfortunately it was defeated.

“It is a really important amendment for Slough where private rented housing is becoming the dominant form of tenure. It is insecure and without the protection which this amendment would have created can be unsuitable for anyone to live in, let alone a family.”

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