Housing coalition urges next Prime Minister to introduce rent controls

The Renters’ Reform Coalition (RRC), an alliance of 18 national housing charities and renters’ unions, has urged the next Prime Minister to introduce rent controls, saying action is needed to tackle rising housing costs and improve living standards.

The coalition, which campaigned for the recently introduced Renters’ Rights Act, argues that limiting rent increases would help wages catch up after rents have risen faster than earnings in 11 of the past 15 years. It also claims the policy would leave renters with more disposable income, support local high streets and reduce Government spending on housing-related benefits.

The call follows growing support for rent controls from organisations including the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). According to analysis by the JRF, a cap on rents could leave renting households almost £1,200 a year better off within four years while reducing overall housing benefit costs by more than £600m over the same period.

Clara Collingwood, director at the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said: “The next Prime Minister has no time to waste in delivering real improvements in our lives. With rent growing faster than our wages for 11 of the past 15 years, any attempts to address the cost-of-living crisis without regulating rent will be like trying to fill a leaking bucket. Whether or not you rent your home, everyone is paying for this cost of renting crisis, as unaffordable rents drive up poverty and homelessness and create huge costs for councils and the government.