The Liberal Democrat London mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon says she would encourage landlords to offer longer tenancies if she was elected in May.

Pidgeon announce a raft of policies aimed at helping renters when she visited a site being developed by affordable housing developer Pocket Living.

By promoting the use of longer tenancies, which could last up to five years instead of the current six months, Pidgeon would hope to provide renters with both stability and protection from rent hikes.

The LibDem hopeful has also pledged to build 200,000 new homes to increase supply and “push down” rents.

Last month she outlined proposals to give tenants first refusal on buying their home should the landlord decide to sell it during their tenancy.

She is also calling for a mandatory licensing scheme for landlords, the scrapping of lettings fees for tenants and more support for boroughs to enforce housing standards.

Pidgeon said: “I want to see all landlords with property in London registered. Landlords who fall short of decent standards mean renters living in sometimes appalling conditions, with severe health problems and fuel poverty prevalent among this group. I’m not prepared to see this continue.

“By making sure rogue landlords are prosecuted, enforcing housing standards and promoting longer tenancies of three to five years to give tenants security we can make an real impact on improving the lives of people who choose to rent.”