A call is being made to control rents by a system called ‘double locking’.

This means they would be linked to wages and the Consumer Price Index (CPI), applied nationally, and should apply both within and between tenancies. 

There would be exemptions for new-builds, expansion of support to meet new quality standards, and regulation on short-term lets. 

The idea comes from the left-leaning Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

It claims its rent control policy would avoid problems often association with such controls – reduced supply; property quality; new housebuilding; inequality; and mobility.

Writing on the leftist housing website Red Brick, the IPPR researcher Tazu Walden says: “The most common criticism of rent controls is that by limiting landlord profits, they reduce the supply of rental properties. 

“At a time when vacancy rates are already low, a sudden contraction in supply would place even greater pressure on renters. 

“This risk can be mitigated through a system that allows rents to rise broadly in line with prices. 

“The aim is not to freeze rents, but to create a more stable and predictable path over time. 

“The double-lock mechanism recognises that indexing to inflation alone leaves renters exposed to inflationary shocks, like Iran. 

“Equally, a system linked only to wages does not allow a gradual closing of the gap between income and rents.”

She adds that implementing controls nationally prevents rent increases outside any artificial controlled area. And applying controls for both sitting and new tenants reduces the disincentive to move out of a rent-controlled property.

To deter landlords shifting from mainstream rentals to short lets, Walden recommends a hard cap on the number of nights a property can be rented out short-term each year.

You can see her article here: https://redbrickblog.co.uk/2026/07/designing-rent-controls-for-england/