‘Draconian’ Six-Tenant Limit Will See Rents Rise Even More, PN MP Alex Borg Warns
PN MP Alex Borg has warned new laws limiting the maximum number of tenants per property to six unrelated people will ultimately result in even higher rent prices.
“In a draconian manner, the government has decided that no more than six people can rent out the same property,” Borg said.
“There was no consultation, no planning, no reasoning. It just woke up one fine morning and took this decision.”
Housing Minister Roderick Galdes said the new law is intended to stop landlords from renting out their properties to large numbers of tenants at the same time.
However, Borg argued that tenant limits shouldn’t be universal but rather based on the carrying capacity of the property in question, certified by an architect. He told Lovin Malta that a possible workaround could be limiting tenants to two people per bedroom.
“Whether you rent out a stable illegally, a one-bedroom apartment, or a four or five-bedroom property, the maximum will still be six tenants,” he warned.
He warned that this will result in rents rising even further, with families searching for a small place getting the short end of the stick. This is due to concern that landlords who currently earn a certain level of income from a high number of tenants will seek to maintain that same income, only divided among a smaller number.
“This style of decision-making clearly shows the government has no plan on several levels,” Borg said. “The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing and people are suffering as a result.”
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