Ragnar Þór vows to push rental bill forward

Social Affairs and Housing Minister Ragnar Þór Ingólfsson said he would push ahead with his bill to amend rental laws, despite criticism of the government’s proposed rent cap. The remarks were reported by mbl.is after a parliamentary debate on Wednesday.

Opposition MPs questioned why debate on the bill was continuing, pointing to comments by Central Bank Governor Ásgeir Jónsson, who called the proposed rent cap “very stupid” and said it would harm tenants most.

Sigríður Á. Andersen of the Centre Party said the bill’s place on the agenda was troubling given the governor’s comments and MPs’ earlier criticism of the lack of consultation and information before it was introduced. Fellow Centre Party MP Nanna Margrét Gunnlaugsdóttir called for the debate to be postponed, arguing that the government’s bills would not help people in the country.

Sigurjón Þórðarson of the People’s Party opposed delaying the debate, saying MPs should not be distracted by the governor’s statements. He said the bill would bring Iceland’s rental-market rules closer to those in other Nordic countries.