A law meant to bring rooming houses under Government regulation was passed by the Senate yesterday but not before being described as a "nice piece of politics" by Opposition Sen. Maxwell Burgess.

Sen. Calvin Smith defended the legislation saying that the bill will protect people from being exploited by their landlords.

The Public Health Amendment Act contains provisions requiring owners of rooming houses with five or more rooms to register with the Minister of Health and meet certain minimum standards.

Sen. Burgess said that the associated costs of meeting those standards may drive people out on the streets and exacerbate social problems.

"This is a nice piece of politics. But the real question is where is the real housing plan?" asked Sen. Burgess.

"Where is the answer for a number of Bermudians who are pushed to finding housing that does not exist ?"

And he argued that landlords found to fall afoul of those minimum standards will end up increasing their rents to fund the improvements - to the detriment of the tenants. "I hope Government is not going to insist on some form of rent control," he said.

"Of course the Government has a plan for housing," said Sen. Smith.

He said those who found themselves in rooming houses were invariably in dire straits and particularly vulnerable to exploitation. "What we are making certain of now is that the people living in existing rooming houses are not exploited. There are certainly predatory landlords out there who are taking advantage."