As London prepares for the upcoming mayoral election on 2nd May 2024, Propertymark has issued proposals to the candidates to address the city’s housing challenges.
The professional body for property agents has suggested expanding the Mayor’s Energy for Londoners programme to help landlords and homeowners decarbonise their properties.
It also advocates for the release of land held by public bodies for housing development and greater enforcement against short-term lets.
Tim Thomas, policy and campaigns officer at Propertymark, emphasised the urgency of these measures: “With a population of over nine million, the highest house sales and rental values in the country and challenges with the supply of all housing tenures, the next Mayor of London needs to use all powers at their disposal to tackle problems the Capital faces.”
Propertymark’s strategy also includes speeding up the planning process, building on land under the Mayor’s control to boost the supply of new homes, and avoiding rent controls to encourage landlord participation in the rental market.
Additionally, the organisation is calling for the new Mayor to have enhanced devolutionary powers to more effectively tackle the capital’s housing issues.
