Shelter calls for rent controls and more regulation

The homelessness charity Shelter has unveiled its manifesto for the next General Election, calling on all political parties to deliver a four-point plan to end the country’s 'housing emergency'.

Part of the action plan is to introduce rent controls, more regulation for landlords and a crackdown on criminal landlords.

The charity’s manifesto will be formally unveiled next week (Mon 2 Oct) in Manchester and urges politicians to rebuild the country's 'broken housing system'.

It is called ‘The Way Home: a manifesto to rebuild our broken housing system’ and was written with the input of those who have ‘lived’ the housing crisis.

'Willing to tackle the housing emergency head-on'

Polly Neate, Shelter's chief executive, said: "No party can consider itself ready to lead the country unless it is willing to tackle the housing emergency head-on.

"This means taking bold action to rebuild our housing system on the generational principle it was designed on: to provide the homes our country needs."

Shelter's manifesto outlines the action needed to provide affordable and decent homes for everyone, and challenges the next political party to form a government to:

·       The building of 90,000 social houses to rent every year for a decade

·       Improve the safety and quality of rented properties

·       Clarify and strengthen housing rights

·       Make private rental homes secure and affordable.

'Private rents continuing to rise while wages stagnate'

Ms Neate said: "With private rents continuing to rise while wages stagnate, we must have a plan to prevent people from being trapped in a cycle of financial hardship.

"We need to make private renting affordable.

"This means regulating how much landlords can hike rents within a tenancy each year, to protect people from the stress and instability of huge rent increases."

According to Shelter, the chronic lack of social housing in the UK has seen the PRS more than doubling in size over the last 20 years.

And, Ms Neate says, ineffective regulation of landlords is leading to renters facing record rents, bad conditions and the threat of ‘unfair’ section 21 evictions.

'People are trapped in poor-quality homes'

Ms Neate said: "People are trapped in poor-quality homes that they can barely afford, unable to save and having to cut back on essentials to pay their bills.

"A new generation of social homes to rent is the only sustainable solution and it is the only housing tenure that's affordable because rents are tied to local incomes."

To improve the safety and quality of rented homes, Shelter wants more regulation with enforcement standards for both social and private rented sectors, along with stronger powers so councils can tackle criminal landlords.

The charity warns that because governments have not built enough social housing, there are now 1.2 million households in temporary accommodation with 130,000 homeless children on waiting lists for a home.

Shelter is urging people to support its campaign and sign its petition calling on all political parties to commit to ending the housing emergency.

'Understand what the impact of those ideas will be'

Simon Thompson, the managing director of Accommodation for Students, said: "It's one thing having a wish list but something else entirely to understand what the impact of those ideas will be.

"Rent controls do not work, they haven't worked anywhere, and yet they are being put forward as a solution.

"And wanting 90,000 homes to be built every year is a bold claim, but it simply isn't enough."

He added: "What we need is for the government to offer more support to the private rented sector and help keep landlords offering quality homes to rent.

"Punishing them with more red tape and the prospect of rent controls will have the opposite effect this manifesto claims it will deliver."