Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called for rent controls to be introduced in London, alongside a crackdown on private housing, as part of his local election campaign.Polanski, who is looking to make gains in London boroughs for the Greens at next month’s elections, also said at least 50 per cent of new homes in the Capital will be social – properties that are owned and managed by councils or housing associations.
Currently only the Government can implement rent controls but London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham have both called for powers to impose rent caps to be devolved to regional leaders.
Are rent controls already in force?
Khan has already announced a plan for rent caps on new homes for key workers, such as nurses, teachers and bus drivers, that would save them around £600 a month.
The mayor has invited developers and housing associations to bid for funding to build 6,000 new homes in London, where rents would be set at 40 per cent of average key worker household incomes after tax.
Khan has promised to build the homes by 2030 and said existing powers will be utilised to cap the rents based on salaries in each area.
In Scotland, the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 allows for long-term, evidence-based rent controls to be introduced in areas where rents are rising steeply.
Under the new law, from this month, local authorities must assess rent conditions in their area and submit a report to Scottish ministers which will inform decisions on whether to designate a rent control area.
What is the benefit?
Advocates see rent control as a way to make renting more affordable for tenants, particularly in cities like London and Manchester which have experienced significant rent increases and a shortage of available rental properties.
At the end of 2025, average advertised rents in London hit a new high of £2,736, according to the property listings site RightMove.
Despite average earnings rising by 5 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024, the cost of renting in London was swallowing up 44 per cent of the average wage by the end of last year – up from 40 per cent five years ago.
YouGov polling commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) found that three-quarters of Londoners would support a cap on the amount of rent that can be increased each year.
In Manchester, the average monthly rent was £1,337 as of December 2025, an increase of 3.4 per cent on the year before, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with more than 40 per cent of average wages absorbed by rent.
Who is opposed?
Critics of rent controls argue that it can worsen affordability by restricting the supply of available homes to rent as landlords may sell or convert properties due to lower profits, and developers may choose not to build new housing.
Some also argue that it affects the quality of housing as landlords have fewer financial incentives to maintain properties.
Who could be next?
Khan’s plan for a Key Worker Living Rent (KWLR) housing scheme would link eligibility to salaries. Those who can apply must have a household income of £75,000 or less.
Those who are eligible to to apply must either rent privately or live with family or friends, and not own another home, or be unable to buy a property in their local area.
There are no current government plans to introduce rent controls, as Labour focuses on its mission to build 1.5 million new homes to improve access to affordable housing.
The Green Party’s plan to introduce rent controls nationally would see individual councils given the power to cap excessive rents for their local market and renters would be given a new right to demand energy efficiency improvements.
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