Tenant advocacy group Generation Rent has made a number of pleas to the UK’s next prime minister, building on the work of the Renters Rights Act.
With Sir Keir Starmer having stepped down, and a successor to be selected, Generation Rent has issued a statement warning that the Renters Rights Act is “not the finish line.”
As such, the group is urging the next premier to consider five policies to improve renters’ lives.
Chief among these is the introduction of a limit on rent increases by landlords, with Generation Rent explaining that private renters in England spend an average of 36% of their income on rent.
“Therefore, with another inflation spike predicted, the government must urgently introduce a limit to how much landlords can raise the rent, linked to the lower of CPI or wage growth, protecting renters from being priced out of their homes due to international events or landlord greed,” argued Generation Rent.
Generation Rent also wants progress to be accelerated in improving PRS home quality.
The Renters Rights Act has applied the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law but the group is arguing for the former’s implementation to be fast tracked. The timeline for the latter is still unknown.
In tandem, Generation Rent is also calling for EPC reforms to be properly enforced —improving both home quality and energy efficiency from a bill standpoint.
Generation Rent’s other pleas include ending the “right to rent” policy that requires landlords to run immigration checks on tenants-to-be, while compensating evictees more.
In its statement, Generation Rent added: “When a landlord evicts a tenant to sell the home or move themselves or a family member in, they should be forced to agree to waive two months of rent to help the renter with the upfront cost of moving home.
“This would prevent renters from being forced into homelessness or debt, reducing strain on local councils and the money spent on temporary accommodation.”
