Angela Rayner could give authorities the authority to permit rental property checks without notifying the landlord. 

MPs have being encouraged by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) to do away with the requirement that authorities give landlords a 24-hour notice before accessing a home.

The suggestion was made in response to the Renters' Rights Bill, which would outlaw discrimination against tenants on benefits and prohibit Section 21 evictions.

The letter, which was sent to the Renters’ Rights Bill Committee of MPs, said: “It gives the landlord 24 hours notice that the tenant has complained. The landlord can then appear at the inspection, which can be an intimidating experience for a tenant.”

The committee is now considering responses and is expected to report by the end of the month. 

However, Megan Eighteen, president elect at landlord trade body Propertymark, said it was “only fair” that property owners were allowed to attend inspections – especially as they are responsible for any works.

She said: “Often when we talk about rogue landlords, or landlords who are behaving in an unacceptable way, we are talking about the exception, not the rule. 

“The problem we have at the moment is that legislation is being continuously written for the exception, the unusual case, not for your day-to-day landlords.”

The Renters’ Rights Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, is set to abolish so-called “no fault” evictions, introduce a new ombudsman for the private rental sector and make enforcement against rogue landlords stronger. 

Tenants will be able to demand to have pets, and will be able to challenge “unreasonable” rent increases.

Rent repayment orders will be doubled from one year’s rent to two, and repeat offenders will have to pay the maximum, government guidance issued in September states. But landlords will have to wait three months to take action against non-paying tenants. 

Housing experts have warned that the changes could exacerbate the ongoing rental crisis in the UK, pushing landlords out of the sector and making prices higher for tenants. 

Landlords have sold 300,000 more properties than they have bought since 2016, and the average rent for new lets has jumped to £1,369 a month, up 5pc over the last year. 

The Ministry for Housing was contacted for comment. 

Source: Telegraph