Amendments that will strengthen the Housing Authority’s right to inspect properties where a tenant’s rights could be abused will be tabled in Parliament in the coming weeks, Roderick Galdes said in Parliament on Monday.

The Housing Authority Minister said that there are many property owners who follow the rules and regulations when it comes to renting their property, but that there are others who abuse the system to try and get more out of their tenants. 

In June, Times of Malta reported how foreign workers were paying up to €250 a month each to share a single apartment in Sliema between 40 other people. Following the report, the PA said it was “issuing an enforcement notice”.

Replying to a parliamentary question asked by PL MP Naomi Cachia Galdes said the ministry had received a number of reports of owners breaching their tenants' human and sanitary rights. 

“In the coming weeks, I will table a number of amendments in parliament to strengthen the authority’s right to carry out inspections,” he said without elaborating.

“In the context of renting, the authority should have the right to lawfully inspect a property if a tenant’s rights or sanitary rules are being abused.”

The issue of overcrowding in shared accommodation was raised in a Housing Authority study published in August, highlighting that some migrant workers could restore to sharing accommodation in cramped conditions because they are being discriminated against. 

3,000 first-time property buyers apply for €1,000 yearly grant 

Replying to another parliamentary question by PL MP Randolph De Battista, Galdes said all first-time buyers who bought a property since January 1, 2022 and obtained a loan for the purchase can apply to receive €1,000 a year for 10 years. 

"So far we have seen 3,000 first-time buyers applying for this scheme," he said.