Back in December of 2023, the Malta Housing Authority put forth a proposal that would see laws put into place restricting landlords to 6 registered tenants when renting to more than one family in one dwelling - without taking into consideration the number of bedrooms within the property.
Recently however this amendment has been further adjusted to reflect that landlords would be limited to renting their property to two tenants per one bedroom. This means that in properties with three bedrooms, the dwelling can house up to six registered tenants.
In exceptional cases where the property has four bedrooms, eight tenants could be permitted providing there are at least two bathrooms, and in the case of five-bedroom properties, up to ten registered tenants would be allowed.
This amendment seeks to address overcrowding and prevent landlords from abusing the system, as was the case in June of 2023 when it came to light that up to 40 foreigners were sharing a single apartment in Sliema.
Additional proposed changes to the private residential lease bill have also seen an extension of the di fermo period. A move which many say will risk locking tenants into properties that turn out to be not as advertised or stuck with a landlord who does not fulfil his obligations – essentially depriving vulnerable tenants of a crucial safety net.
The di fermo period revers to the minimum period that a tenant must stay in a property before they can be released from the contract. This di fermo period can range from six month up to a year for depending on the length of the lease.
In the case of a one-year lease the di fermo period would be six months that the tenant is obligated to stay and pay the monthly rental fee before they can give one months' notice and be released from the contract. However, this will no longer be the case with the di fermo period effectively being extended to cover the entire period of the rental contract.
The Malta Housing Authority however has maintained that the extension to the di fermo period will yield positive results in the long run as rental prices will stabilise by increasing the time tenants stay in a property.
Read more about Malta's Rental Laws here.
Looking for a place to rent? Browse our selection exquisite properties for rent in Maltahereor contact us on +356 2010 8077, or visit one of their offices located on the Portomaso Marina, Malta, or the Tigne Point Pjazza.
Originally published 20th March 2024.
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