The fragile peace between different groups in the Renters Reform Coalition has ended in a dispute about a Labour-commissioned report on housing.
So-called “rent stabilisation” measures have been proposed by Labour council chief Stephen Cowan in a report commissioned some 16 months ago by Labour’s then shadow housing secretary, Lisa Nandy.
The report is being launched today and calls for rent increases within tenancies to be capped at the level of local wage growth or in line with the Consumer Price Index – whichever is lower.
Tom Darling, the campaign manager of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, says: “These appear to be a commonsense set of proposals for reforming the private rented sector. It will be critical that, if Labour is to win the general election, it gets on and delivers a package of reforms along these lines – and fast.”
On social media Darling backed the report again, saying: “These appear to be moderate, common-sense proposals to keep more renters in their homes, for longer. That will deliver security of tenure for renters who, facing an acute and ever-growing renting crisis, have been so badly let down by the government.”
However another group in the Renters Reform Coalition thinks differently.
A statement from the London Renters Union says: “Proposals to cap rents within tenancies put forward by a Labour-commissioned report will not make renting more affordable … Only comprehensive rent controls that are linked to the property, rather than the individual tenancy, have the power to lower the cost of renting relative to wages over time for everyone.”
And an LRU spokesperson adds: “Millions of renters are being pushed into poverty and out of our communities by a worsening affordability crisis. We urgently need rent controls that go beyond simply curbing the most excessive rent hikes.
“We need regulations that are linked to the property, rather than the tenancy, and work to make renting more affordable over time for everyone.”
The irony is that the conflict between the groups is largely academic as the Labour Party has officially ruled out rent controls.
A spokesperson has told the media: “While we do believe action needs to be taken to protect renters and rebalance power, rent controls are not Labour party policy as we remain mindful of the risk they could pose to the availability of rental properties and the harmful impacts any reduction in supply would have on renters.”
And the Guardian says the launch event for the Nandy/Cowan report – scheduled for later today – is not being attended by any Labour front benchers.
An additional irony – pointed out by the Guardian – is that many of the other recommendations made in the Nandy/Cowan report are similar to those in the Renters Reform Bill, currently being debated in the House of Lords.
Generation Rent, another activist group which has often spoken in favour of policies adopted by Labour, has so far made no official comment on the new report – nor whether it backs the report’s proposals over official Labour policy.
