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Sadiq Khan calls for powers over private rents

Sadiq Khan has published a major report setting out his vision for the private rented sector in London, including a call for control over rents.

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London mayor Sadiq Khan
London mayor Sadiq Khan
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@MayorofLondon Sadiq Khan calls for powers over rents in major report setting out his vision for the private rented sector #ukhousing

The London mayor is calling on the government to give him the powers so he can force private landlords to bring down rent levels in the capital.

Housing secretary James Brokenshire has previously expressed opposition to rent controls in an interview with The Times.

Mr Brokenshire wants to establish a universal register of landlords and rents which would gather data on London’s private rented sector.

The mayor’s plans include the creation of a new ‘London private rent commission’, with renters included on its board, which would then use the data to recommend measures for gradually reducing rents and limiting rents between tenancies to be implemented by City Hall.

The commission would also suggest incentives to maintain investment in the private rented sector.

Critics of rent controls argue they lead to private landlords pulling out of the sector, restricting supply and so pushing up rents anyway.


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Mr Khan said: “It is high time for private renting in London to be transformed – Londoners need fundamental change that is long overdue.

“Unlike other mayors around the world, I have no powers over the private rented sector.

“That’s why this landmark report sets out a detailed blueprint of what the government must do to overhaul tenancy laws, and what powers City Hall needs from them to bring rents down.”

The mayor is also calling for interim powers to limit rent increases while any full rent control system is developed.

The Greater London Authority has not yet indicated the levels of rent reductions it would like to see.

Official figures suggest the average private rent for a one-bedroom home in London is now more than the average for a three-bed home in the rest of England.

A poll carried out by YouGov on behalf of City Hall last year suggested that 68% of Londoners are in favour of private rents being capped by government, while just 16% oppose the idea.

Today’s report also makes recommendations for other changes to private renting, including introducing open-ended tenancies and scrapping so-called ‘no fault’ evictions, as proposed by government in April.

The rent control proposals were developed by Karen Buck, Labour MP for Westminster North, and deputy mayor for housing James Murray, based on proposals by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) thinktank.

Ms Buck said “urgent reform” of London’s private rented sector is needed to solve issues of “high rents, insecurity and variable quality”.

Miatta Fahnbulleh, chief Executive of NEF, said: “With a majority of Londoners now in favour of rent control, we urge the government to grant the powers needed to the mayor to bring rents down to affordable levels for London’s 2.4 million private renters.”

Many cities across Europe and North America have introduced forms of rent controls or stabilisation.

Berlin’s city authority recently announced plans for a five-year rent freeze, while New York City caps rents for some apartments or resets them between tenancies.

Andrew Boff, Conservative housing spokesperson on the London Assembly, said: “This move towards rent controls amount to nothing more than an attempt to distract from Khan’s dire track record on housing, with the mayor once again prioritising spin over substance.

“Sadiq Khan doesn’t have the power to introduce rent controls, but that doesn’t alter the fact that this approach simply doesn’t work.

“History shows that experimenting with rent controls can lead to deteriorating property standards, fewer homes to rent and even higher rents. Londoners deserve better than this flawed approach.

“Rather than trying to artificially suppress rents when he has no power to, the mayor should improve affordability by using the billions of pounds at his disposal to increase housing supply.”

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