GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) is urging the Federal Government to come up with a Tenancy Act (TA) to protect both landlords and tenants.
CAP is also urging for a tribunal to be set up under the TA to settle disputes between both parties.
Its president S.M. Mohamed Idris said having a TA would help solve the many problems facing the tenancy-landlord relationship.
“The terms and conditions should be fair to both parties and made available to the public.
“Besides that, the Rent Tribunal is important as it will serve as a cheap and fast way to resolve tenancy disputes.
Mohamed Idris said the tribunal’s decision should be legally binding so it would also have the power to penalise landlords and tenants who had disregard the tribunal’s order.
“Issues that can be handled by the tribunal should include disputes over early termination of tenancy, getting an Order to remove a tenant, getting an Order to compel the landlord to repair the rented unit and monetary compensation for tenancy related issues,” he added.
Mohamed Idris said that the TA and Rent Tribunal would benefit both tenants and landlords as it would provide protection and at the same time remove uncertainties in tenancies.
“The TA should also cover the tenancies for small businesses as they too are often in a weak bargaining position when negotiating with the landlords,” he told reporters during a press conference at the CAP office in Jalan Mesjid Negeri yesterday.
“The Government should also fix the rental and adjusting it according to the country’s inflation.”
Mohamed Idris added that in some countries such as Australia and New Zealand they have a basic law governing and regulating tenancies. - The Star
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