Worcester Council has become the latest local authority to urge the government to allow it to bring in rent controls.

The authority will write to Housing Secretary Steve Reed requesting that he allow councils to introduce controls on private sector rents, amid concerns that almost 50% of tenants in the city were only just managing to pay their rent.

Green councillor Alex Mace (pictured) told colleagues that requirements to increase rental properties to an EPC C rating and meet the Decent Homes Standard would put upward pressure on rents as landlords sought to recoup costs from tenants or exit the market and reduce supply.

Oxford and Bristol Councils have previously backed calls for local authorities to be given powers to control rents in the PRS, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan has led a long running campaign to put rent controls back on the agenda. However, the Labour government has repeatedly rejected his calls.

Crisis

“Rent controls are far from a panacea, they will not fix the housing crisis alone or overnight, however they are a necessary tool to transition to a housing system which puts people before profit,” said Mace.

He said the Renters’ Rights Act wouldn’t fix the affordability of housing in Worcester. “Nothing in the Act restricts landlords raising rents in line with market prices which are a function of supply and demand.

Power

“The power imbalance is still with landlords,” added Mace. “The motion is also clear that rent controls are not all that is needed but they are a valuable tool that should be given to local authorities to use if they see fit after careful consideration.”

Liberal Democrat co-leader Jessie Jagger said Labour had taken appropriate steps nationally to protect renters. “Any suggestion of going further is just madness.”

The motion was passed with an amendment that means the council’s communities committee will first consider how the Act has impacted residents, before writing to the Housing Secretary.

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