A committee examining new laws governing landlords says the legislation should be completely rewritten.

A Tynwald Select Committee has been looking into the proposed Landlord and Tenant (Private Housing) Bill put forward by the Department of Social Care.

Minister Chris Robertshaw said the new laws would create a register of landlords and establish minimum standards for rented accommodation.

But private landlords had been extremely critical of the bill, saying it created more bureaucracy and cost.

The committee spent months hearing evidence from interested parties – and has now published its final report.

In its conclusions, it says some clauses need redrafting, describing some as “baffling”, “potentially misleading” and “difficult to follow”.

The committee, chaired by Douglas West MHK Chris Thomas, also says the law should apply to all tenancies and should include standards for tenants as well as landlords.

And in its final recommendation, it says the Bill should be sent back to the Attorney General’s Chambers for a complete rewrite in order to make it more intelligible.