Family demands fair rent from Qormi Labour club

The owners of the Labour Party’s club in Qormi have asked a court to force the party to update the rent payable to them or evict them.

The applicants – Clothilde Borg, Carmen Mizzi, Joseph Mizzi, Salvinu Mizzi, Vincent Mizzi, Isabelle Mercieca, Cecilia Dalli and Felicita Micallef – demanded that the court recognises a breach of their right to enjoy their private property because they were unable at law to increase the annual €197 rent payable to them, and either evict the tenants or update the rent payable according to current market prices.

The application was filed by lawyer Jason Azzopardi, the shadow minister for justice.

The family had originally rented out the premises to the MLP in 1951 for Lm65 a year and then only increased to Lm85 in 2002 – or €197 a year –  after the death of their mother.

The plaintiffs said that the rent being paid was a risible amount that did not reflect the real value of the property, and protested that Maltese rent laws prohibiting them from raising the rent was prejudicing their rights.