Rent, faster evictions for defaulting tenants - Fdi's blitz

Simplifying and speeding up evictions for those who do not pay their rent for two consecutive months. The same deadline as today for eviction for arrears, but the novelty lies in the more streamlined procedure and through an ad hoc authority - a public administrative body, not a judge - to free up homes. This is the objective of the bill filed in the Senate by Fratelli d'Italia, first signatory Paolo Marcheschi for whom the proposal would have a twofold effect: it would reduce civil litigation but also curb 'hit and run' rentals.

The issue - divisive among government allies - is mentioned by the senator, who is convinced that 'housing is often used for short rentals, partly because of the difficulty for landlords to get properties back from defaulting tenants'. And so there would be fewer reservations about renting for a longer time, for example to families.

Opposed to the proposal is the Tenants' Union: it would be "yet another attack on the rights of people in precarious housing" and announces that it is preparing to mobilise. Also opposed is Ilaria Salis who, as an Avs MEP and champion of the right to housing, denounces a "dangerous drift", a consequence of the "government's strategy of centralising power in its hands".

In the crosshairs is the FdI's idea to introduce a special procedure that authorises the intervention of the bailiff for evictions. This would be managed by a new body: the Authority for the execution of evictions, which would be under the Ministry of Justice and to which the owner could apply directly. The tenant - as the bill explains in five articles - would have 15 days to pay the two missed instalments. Otherwise, the Authority would come into play and, after checking documents and conditions, could order the eviction within 7 days. From that decision, another 30 days would be needed to execute it, extendable to a maximum of 90.

Aid or postponements are envisaged for those whose Isee is less than 12,000 euro and who have not paid their rent because they have been made redundant (as a result of a company crisis) or because they have a serious illness or have separated. In these cases, money will be drawn from a national emergency housing fund, mentioned in the bill. Safeguards will also be provided for those who have minor children or elderly, non-self-sufficient or disabled relatives, although the text envisages a somewhat convoluted procedure: in other words, the Authority is required to inform the social services, which then call the Authority to indicate that an eviction postponement (of 90 days) is needed and take action to facilitate alternative temporary accommodation.