Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/441179
MATTHEW VELLA THE tenants of rent-controlled properties who are enjoying low rents thanks to the 1979 law that converted temporary leases into permanent rental contracts, are going to have to face up to the re- ality of higher rental payments. For years, tenants whose leases turned into rental contracts en- joyed their properties at ridicu- lously low annual rents. But now, judgements from the European Court of Human Rights in Stras- bourg have left the government with no choice but to amend the laws – or face having to pay mil- lions in compensation claims and damages in both national and Eu- ropean courts. The government now intends to bring these leases created by the 1979 law, in line with the recent rent legal amendments of 2009 – a sure guarantee that landlords will be paid higher rents on these properties. According to its action plan, the amendments will create a mecha- nism for the revision of the rent, as well as limit the inheritance of tenements, include the introduc- tion of a means test, and also cre- ate measures to revert the leases to their owners. "The amendments will bring the leases created by the 1979 law in line with the general reform of the rent laws by the amendments made to the Civil Code in 2009," a government source told Malta- Today. Under the 1979 Act, which amended the Housing Decontrol Ordinance, a temporary emphy- teusis gets automatically convert- ed into a permanent rental agree- ment, but this has been found to be illegal by both the Maltese Constitutional Court and the Eu- ropean Court of Human Rights. Hibs plan to sign convicted rapist divides opinion PM Muscat criticises planned signing of Ched Evans Newspaper post CONTINUES PAGE 4 YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT SUNDAY • 4 JANUARY 2015 • ISSUE 791 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY maltatoday Controlled rents to increase Government informs European Court of Human Rights it will apply 2009 rent laws to houses whose temporary leases were converted into rental contracts by 1979 amendment YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT MaltaToday writers, experts and cultural observers map out the trends in politics, arts and culture MaltaToday writers, experts and cultural observers map out the trends in politics, arts and culture THE YEAR AHEAD IN 2015 €1.20 WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT MaltaToday writers, experts and cultural observers AHEAD IN 2015 AHEAD IN 2015 AHEAD IN 2015 MaltaToday writers, experts and cultural observers AHEAD IN 2015 AHEAD IN 2015 NEWS Page 3 and SPORTS