Seventeen organisations are very concerned with amendments to the Private Residential Leases Act put forward by Government. Whilst the organisations are in full agreement with proposals that seek to limit overcrowding in rented properties, the list of proposed amendments includes other provisions that will weaken the already precarious position of tenants and strengthen the already powerful position of landlords.

The enactment of the Private Residential Leases Act in 2020 was a small step forward in regulating a rent market characterised by greed and abuse. However, while this legislation introduced very basic rules concerning contracts and their registration, it stopped short of mandating longer-term contracts and prohibiting abusive rent prices. Thus, the rent market is still characterised by widespread precarity for tenants, most of whom are forced to renew contracts from one year to the next without any limits on price increases.

In this context, the proposed amendments mean the further weakening of the tenants’ position by prohibiting them from leaving the leased property during the last six months of their rent contract. Currently, tenants can leave a property with a one-month notice period – during the last six months of a one-year contract – without suffering any damages. This gives tenants a modicum of flexibility in a situation where landlords hold the almost absolute power to decide the terms of the lease. For example, it allows tenants to find another property if they are unsure whether the contract will be renewed with a price they afford, as well as offers the possibility to leave properties with substandard conditions and abusive landlords.

If the proposed amendment goes through, tenants who leave the property at any point during the contract – even in the last six months – will lose their deposit and make themselves liable to legal action from the landlord for loss of income. This will completely tip the scales against the tenants and create a situation where – while landlords can practically do whatever they want – the minimal flexibility afforded to tenants is eliminated.

The proposed amendments include other provisions of concern such as one that will allow landlords to increase the rent price even when they forget to legally terminate a lease.

The organisations recognise that the Accommodation Ministry has taken steps to improve the highly socially unjust situation characterising the property market, and has also been genuinely open to dialogue with an array of organisations. However, they also express their disappointment that, in this case, it seems that the Ministry has caved in to strong pressures from the developers’ and landlords’ lobby, prioritising the maximisation of profits rather than social justice and wellbeing.

The organisations appeal for the anti-tenant proposals to be withdrawn and to instead move towards a more stable, regulated and just renting model.

List of organisations
Moviment Graffitti
Solidarjetà – Workers’ and tenants’ union
aditus Foundation
Caritas Malta
Young Progressive Beings
Dance Beyond Borders
Paulo Freire Institute
Żminijietna
African Media Association
Blue Door Education
The Maltese Association of Social Workers
Victim Support Malta
Migrant Women Association
SPS – Students’ Philosophical Society
ESA – Earth Systems Association
ESO – European Studies Association
KŻE – Kolletiv Żgħażagħ EkoXellugin

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Emendi antisoċjali lil-liġi dwar il-kirjiet residenzjali jippremjaw lil sidien il-kera abbużivi u jikkastigaw lill-kerrejja

Sbatax-il għaqda huma mħassba ħafna rigward l-emendi lill-Att tal-Kirjiet Residenzjali Privati mressqa mill-Gvern. Filwaqt li l-għaqdiet jaqblu bi sħiħ mal-proposti li jridu jillimitaw l-iffullar fi proprjetajiet mikrija, il-lista tal-emendi proposti tinkludi dispożizzjonijiet oħra li se jdgħajfu l-pożizzjoni diġà prekarja tal-kerrejja u jsaħħu l-pożizzjoni diġà b’saħħitha ta’ sidien il-kera.

Id-dħul fis-seħħ tal-Att tal-Kirjiet Residenzjali Privati fl-2020 kien pass żgħir ’il quddiem fir-regolamentazzjoni ta’ suq tal-kera kkaratterizzat mir-regħba u l-abbuż. Madankollu, filwaqt li din il-leġiżlazzjoni introduċiet regoli bażiċi ħafna rigward il-kuntratti u r-reġistrazzjoni tagħhom, naqset milli timponi kuntratti aktar fit-tul u tipprojbixxi prezzijiet tal-kera abbużivi. Għalhekk, is-suq tal-kera għadu kkaratterizzat minn prekarjetà mifruxa għall-kerrejja, li ħafna minnhom ikunu mġiegħla jġeddu l-kuntratti sena wara sena mingħajr ebda limiti fuq iż-żieda fil-prezz.

F’dan il-kuntest, l-emendi proposti jfissru li l-pożizzjoni tal-kerrejja se tkompli tiddgħajjef billi se jiġu pprojbiti milli jitilqu mill-proprjetà mikrija tul l-aħħar sitt xhur tal-kuntratt tal-kera tagħhom. Fil-preżent, il-kerrejja jistgħu jitilqu minn proprjetà billi jagħtu avviż b’perjodu ta’ xahar — tul l-aħħar sitt xhur ta’ kuntratt ta’ sena — mingħajr ma jkunu soġġetti għal xi danni. Dan jagħti lill-kerrejja ftit flessibilità f’sitwazzjoni fejn is-sidien tal-kera għandhom is-setgħa kważi assoluta li jiddeċiedu t-termini tal-kera. Pereżempju, dan jippermetti lill-kerrejja jsibu proprjetà oħra jekk ma jkunux ċerti li l-kuntratt se jiġi mġedded bi prezz li jifilħu għalih, kif ukoll jagħmilha possibbli li jitilqu minn proprjetajiet b’kundizzjonijiet substandard u b’sidien il-kera abbużivi.

Jekk l-emendi proposti jgħaddu, il-kerrejja li jitilqu mill-proprjetà fi kwalunkwe punt matul il-kuntratt — anke fl-aħħar sitt xhur — se jitilfu d-depożitu tagħhom u jsiru vulnerabbli għal azzjoni legali min-naħa ta’ sid il-kera minħabba telf ta’ flus. Dan se joħloq żbilanċ totali kontra l-kerrejja u joħloq sitwazzjoni fejn filwaqt li sidien il-kera jistgħu prattikament jagħmlu li jridu, il-ftit flessibilità li kienu jgawdu l-kerrejja se jitilfuha.

L-emendi proposti jinkludu dispożizzjonijiet oħra li huma ta’ tħassib, bħal pereżempju l-emenda li se tippermetti lil sidien il-kera jgħollu l-prezz tal-kera anke meta jkunu nesew jitterminaw kirja legalment.

L-għaqdiet jagħrfu li l-Ministeru għall-Akkomodazzjoni ħa passi biex itejjeb is-sitwazzjoni soċjali inġusta ħafna li tikkaratterizza lis-suq tal-proprjetà u wera wkoll li huwa ġenwinament miftuħ għal djalogu ma’ firxa ta’ għaqdiet. Madankollu, jesprimu wkoll id-diżappunt tagħhom li, f’dan il-każ, il-Ministeru bħal donnu ċeda għal pressjoni qawwija mil-lobby tal-iżviluppaturi u sidien il-kera, u ta prijorità lill-massimizzazzjoni tal-profitti minflok il-ġustizzja u l-benesseri soċjali.

L-għaqdiet qed jappellaw sabiex dawn il-proposti kontra l-interessi tal-kerrejja jiġu rtirati u minflok nimxu lejn mudell tal-kera aktar stabbli, regolat u ġust. 

Lista ta’ għaqdiet
Moviment Graffitti
Solidarjetà – Union tal-ħaddiema u l-inkwilini
aditus Foundation
Caritas Malta
Young Progressive Beings
Dance Beyond Borders
Paulo Freire Institute
Żminijietna
African Media Association
Blue Door Education
The Maltese Association of Social Workers
Victim Support Malta
Migrant Women Association
SPS – Students’ Philosophical Society
ESA – Earth Systems Association
ESO – European Studies Association
KŻE – Kollettiv Żgħażagħ EkoXellugin