Andy Burnham has signed an open letter to government calling for a freeze on private sector rents. Greater Manchester's mayor joined his counterparts in London and Liverpool, along with several unions and organisations across the country in signing the letter to housing secretary Michael Gove.
It comes as rents have soared in Greater Manchester over the past year. Campaigners say the move would help renters 'weather the worst of the cost of living crisis' while also preventing 'huge numbers' of tenants facing homelessness in the coming months.
The letter also calls for an immediate ban on evictions 'until the cost of living crisis is over' and for no-fault evictions to be banned. The open letter has also been signed by the Greater Manchester Tenants Union and Greater Manchester Law Centre, as well as the Green Party.
It says: "Rising costs of food and energy mean millions are struggling to make ends meet. Last year 2.5 million renters were behind or constantly struggling to pay their rent.
"At the same time, rents have been skyrocketing across the UK, rising fastest in Manchester, Bristol, Sheffield and Birmingham, reaching as high as 20.5%. Rents in London have gone up 17.8% on average last year, and rent increases of 30-50% are increasingly common.
"Renters are among the worst affected by the cost of living crisis. Prior to this crisis, renters were already spending four to five times as much as owner-occupiers on housing.
"Yet landlords, with the encouragement of letting agents, are using this crisis as an opportunity to introduce rent hikes. In September 2022 alone, one million renters faced a rent increase."
The letter, organised by London Renters Union, cites research from Generation Rent which found just 11% of rent increases last year were due to higher mortgage rates. Campaigners also say there has been an increase of more than 120% in Section 21 'no fault eviction' notices being served since last year.
Calls for a rent freeze have grown since December, when a similar move was announced in Scotland. Greater Manchester Tenants Union says tenants in the region are already facing unaffordable hikes in rent.
Organiser Ben Clay said: "Across our city tenants are being squeezed by falling wages and rising rents. This government has the power to protect people from unaffordable rent rises, but it is choosing instead to protect landlords, by enabling a wild west rental market to let rip.
"The very people who kept the country going through the pandemic are now being punished for a crisis they didn’t cause. A rent freeze is the only way to address the scale and urgency of the crisis, and would represent a step towards a stronger housing system that meets everyone's needs.”
A ban for 'no fault' evictions has been promised since 2019, and the government insists legislation will be brought forward as soon as it can, although it does not support immediate restrictions which it claims could reduce the supply of homes for rent. And while areas like Manchester have seen soaring rents in the past year, the government insists rents across England have risen below inflation, at 4.3% in the 12 months up to January.
A government spokesperson said: “We recognise the pressures brought on by the rising cost of living, which is why we delivered £1,200 of direct support to millions of households last year, including £400 towards energy costs, and will be providing a further £1,350 of support to the most vulnerable households over the next year.
“We continue to work with the sector and tenants, however, evidence shows rent controls in the private sector do not work – leading to declining standards and a lack of investment and may encourage illegal subletting. Our reforms will deliver a fairer deal for renters, including empowering them to challenge unjustified rent increases and a ban on Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.”
Mr Burnham was approached for comment.
READ NEXT:
The faces of callous racing pals who ploughed into and killed little boy as he played in the street
The detectives called to Thomas Campbell's home will never forget the scene they found inside
Lighter found at scene where tragic woman was set on fire had husband and brother-in-law's DNA on it
Golf club suffers 'worst act of vandalism in its 122-year history'
