We Need a New Deal For Private Tenants And Landlords

Private renting is under increasing strain. More and more families cant’t get on the housing ladder and are renting for longer, while there is simply not enough genuine affordable housing to meet the needs of lower-income and vulnerable groups.

Demand is outstripping supply and the market reaction is rapidly rising rents. Rogue landlords are making life a misery for thousands of households. Some 86.000 complaints were made to local councils in the last year.

The root cause of the problem is the shortage of affordable homes, and it is right that the government is starting to address this part of its housing strategy. But new initiatives take time to have an effect, and action is needed now to improve private renting in the medium term.

As rents increase and inflation soars, it is hard to see how private renters – particularly those with children – can afford to stay in their current homes. In short, the increasingly high cost of renting undermines families’ sense of stability.

The reality is that tenants have very little stability outside their initial six-or 12 month contract. After that, the landlord can evict them with two months’ notice or propose a new rent as high as the market will allow, no matter how “good” they have been.

There are a number of policy solutions that could help, and it doesn’t have to be arbitrary rent cap. The announcement of an independent review of investment in the private rented sector must be judged by its focus on the social value of stability for tenants, not just the economic benefits to landlords and investors.

(the Guardian, 2011)

People and Cities

Profound changes have taken place in the nature of city develop­ment under the influence of changing social systems, the progress of the productive forces, and the scientific and technical revolution; urbanization is rampant and percentage of the population living in towns and cities, as well as the number of big cities, continue to grow. Our planet already has 300 cities with populations greater than a million and by the turn of the century their number will reach 3,500. As' many as 600 million families will need new homes, which exceeds by far the world's present housing facilities. Uncontrolled urbanization engenders phenomena that run counter to the vital interests of mankind.

What measures must be taken to keep urbanization in check? What must be done to point urban development in a direction bene­ficial for people? These problems were under the spotlight at the international inter-town conference "Modern City Planning and Development" held in Sofia (1978). Various commissions dis­cussed the problems associated with developing city areas, providing the conditions necessary for normal life, work and rest, and dealing with architectural monuments and the municipal economy of the growing city.

Supplementary Topical List

A

to slash the housing investment programme — резко сократить ассигнования на жилищное строительство

a reduction in government cash — сокращение правительственных ассигнований

a cut in council home expenditure — сокращение ассигнований на строительство домов, принадлежащих муниципалитетам

council tenants (public tenants) — съемщик жилой площади, при­надлежащей муниципалитету

to evict — выселять

private tenants (syn, private renters) — съемщик жилой площади, принадлежащей част­ному лицу

rent arrears — задолженность по квартирной плате

declining areas — районы, приходящие в упадок

council housing — дома, принадлежащие муниципалитету

slum clearance sites — участки, освободившиеся после сноса трущоб

deteriorating houses — дома, приходящие в ветхость

a mobile home—дом на колесах, жилой автофургон

to be equipped with every facility — быть оборудованным всеми удобствами

to charge fees — брать плату

housing construction — жилищное строительство

housing space — жилая площадь

to provide with maximum conveniences — обеспечить максимум удобств

to build at a low cost — строить с наименьшими затратами

advanced construction methods — передовые методы жилищного строительства

prefabricated building elements — конструкции, из которых впо­следствии собирают дома

to turn out blocks of flats — производить готовые дома

a construction site — строительная площадка

the scale of construction work — размах жилищного строительства

urbanization — урбанизация

housing facilities — жилой фонд

to release means — высвобождать средства

a municipally-owned flat — государственная квартира

to cover the construction expenses — покрыть расходы, связанные со строительством

to meet the cost of the housing maintenance funds — взять на себя расходы, связанные с эксплуатацией и ремонтом

to be entitled to (comfortable) housing accommodation — иметь право на получение (благоустроенной) жилплощади

В

housing (n.) — жилищные условия; жилищный вопрос; жилье

inadequate housing — неудовлетворительные жилищные условия

to discuss housing — обсуждать жилищный вопрос

the housing problem — жилищный вопрос

to tackle (solve) the housing problem — решать (решить) жилищ­ный вопрос

to aggravate the housing problem — усугубить нехватку жилья

to address the housing strategy –выработать стратегию решения жилищной проблемы

the housing shortage — нехватка жилья

to reveal the housing shortage — выявить нехватку жилья

to build housing space — строить жилую площадь

housing cuts — сокращения ассигнований на жилищное строи­тельство

to fight housing cuts — вести борьбу с сокращением ассигнований на жилищное строительство

a housing decline — спад в жилищном строительстве

to buy homes on mortgage — покупать дома по закладной

interest payments on mortgage — выплата процентов по закладной

council house sales — продажа домов, принадлежащих муниципа­литету

to sell off council housing — продавать дома, принадлежащие му­ниципалитету

to institute rent controls — ввести контроль над повышением квар­тирной платы

to put forward grievances and demands — выдвигать жалобы и тре­бования

to grant council tenants security of tenure — гарантировать съем­щикам жилой площади, принадлежащей муниципалитету, право на пользование этой площадью

dwelling — жилище; дом syn. Tenament

owner-occupier — владелец дома (живущий в нем)

empty property — пустующие дома, жилые помещения

rent (n.) — квартирная плата

a heavy (high) rent — высокая квартирная плата

a rent increase — повышение квартирной платы

rent cap - ограничение максимального размера арендной платы

rent goes up (increases, rises) — квартирная плата повышается

to be faced with a rent increase of... — оказаться перед лицом по­вышения квартирной платы на...

to owe three months' rent — иметь трехмесячную задолженность по квартирной плате

a rent reduction — снижение квартирной платы

to charge rent — взимать квартирную плату

a housing ladder – “жилищная лестница» ( the system whereby owning a cheap home allows you to buy a more expensive one after a time)

to get on a housing ladder

to be on the council waiting list — стоять в очереди на квартиру в муниципальном совете

homeless statistics — статистические данные о лицах, не имеющих жилой площади

to live in multi-occupied houses — жить в густонаселенных домах

to provide temporary accommodation — предоставить временное жилье

to be unfit for human habitation — быть непригодным для жилья

2. Use the information in the articles above to speak on the following making use of the OV and the Supplementary Topical List.

   1. Housing problems of mega-cities.

   2. Urbanization and modern city planning and development.

3. Render the following in English. Make use of the OV and of the Supplementary Topical List