Labour politicians in Manchester want new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to use the city as a pilot for private rent controls.
Councillor Gavin White, who runs the city council’s housing department, says the authority could be a template for how rent controls could work nationally.
He is quoted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service as saying: “We call on the government and new Prime Minister to give the new mayor of Greater Manchester devolved powers to look at rent caps and controls for the private rented sector, to address the issues of stark inequality and affordability.
“We already have rent controls and caps in social housing, and the Renters Rights Act has begun to give powers for that, but we would call for further powers to be able to tackle that crisis head on.
“We would welcome Manchester being a pilot for a national scheme to deliver this.”
Other Labour councillors backed the idea in a council debate, with one saying: “We are asking government to devolve powers to our new Greater Manchester mayor to develop limits on rents.”
The Manchester Evening News, reporting on the debate, also cites the Institute for Public Policy Research North – a think tank focussed on the north of England.
“Across the country, rents have become increasingly unaffordable, with 45 per cent of private renters struggling – millions being pushed to the brink by a housing market that just isn’t working for them” says the think tank.
“This issue has been particularly bad in London, and now here in Manchester which has higher rents than the rest of the north west.”
It continues: “Over the last few years, there has been a shift towards institutional landlords with more and more buy-to-let properties being built around Manchester, and fewer single-portfolio or casual landlords renting properties in the city.
“IPPR’s proposals for rent controls as described would benefit tenants in Manchester’s private rental sector; protecting them from sudden rent rises, rebalancing the market, and ensuring rent only rises with what people can actually afford.”
