Generation Rent is calling for a national rent freeze in the private sector for an unspecified period “for the duration of the cost of living crisis.”

The campaign effectively found itself ‘behind the curve’ as other anti-landlord or pro-tenant groups have been campaigning for rent freezes for some weeks – now in a series of tweets Generation Rent has attached itself to the same cause.

The campaign – led by former Labour peer Baroness Alicia Kennedy – tweeted directly at the Prime Minister saying: “@BorisJohnson to stop a wave of homelessness here is what your government must do: Ban Section 21 evictions and stop renters in arrears automatically getting evicted. Introduce a national rent freeze for the duration of the cost of living crisis.”

Its other demands in the multiple-tweet issued yesterday afternoon included a call for a ban on landlords “demanding months’ rent up front” and “increase fund to clear tenant’s rent arrears.”

The campaign – which claims it is “delivering a rent revolution in the UK” – adds that Local Housing Allowance should be unfrozen so benefit claimants can pay rent; in addition it wants the government to restore the discretionary housing payment funding to 2020/21 levels and reinstate the now-abolished £20 Universal Credit uplift.