Rent controls in Bristol could see rent increases capped at inflation or average wage growth according to a new consultation. As living in many parts of the city becomes increasingly unaffordable, an expert commission is exploring how to limit landlords from hiking up rents.
While Bristol City Council does not currently have the legal powers to introduce rent controls, City Hall chiefs are lobbying the government to change the law. The council is now consulting the public about how rent controls could work, with several different scenarios on the table.
Options include capping rents across the whole of Bristol or just parts of the city, having temporary rent controls or a long term policy, and allowing for one-off increases if the landlord pays to improve their property. The consultation asks whether controls should aim to stop large rent increases, reduce overall rent levels, or set rent levels related to incomes.
