Burnham Backtracks on Introducing Rent Controls

Andy Burnham will not introduce rent caps as part of his plans to ease the cost of living despite advocating for them previously, housing secretary Angela Rayner has said. 

The new prime minister had told reporters earlier this week that he was considering capping rent as part of an emergency package of policy changes.

But Rayner told BBC Breakfast on Friday that Burnham’s government would not pursue rent controls. 

She pointed to the Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force in May and which Rayner said was “already having a significant impact on the market”.

Later that day, Green party leader Zack Polanski wrote on X: “The new prime minister talks a lot about helping with the cost of living crisis. This is the one single measure that would help the most and save billions. All talk. Continuity Starmer.”

Burnham previously advocated for rent caps to ease the cost of living crisis in 2023, when he was the mayor of Greater Manchester. 

Former Labour leader and Your Party MP Jeremy Corbyn said Rayner’s announcement was “extremely disappointing”.

“There is no hope of ending homelessness if we do not stand up to vested interests and take action against extortionate private rents,” he added. “We need rent controls, and we need them now.”

In defence of her announcement, Rayner argued that rent caps hadn’t “necessarily brought rent down” after emergency measures were enacted in Scotland during 2022. 

Critics of that legislation argued that the policy sheltered existing tenants, but didn’t stop landlords hiking rents for new tenants. Regardless, the Ferret reported that when the legislation expired in 2024, tenants were soon notified of large increases. 

Around 8.8m households rent in the UK, with a third of tenants spending 50% or more of their income on rent, according to Tribune.