An open letter to Sadiq Khan and his plans for a rent freeze
3 years ago | 13 comments
Sadiq Khan calls for a London rent freeze – AGAIN!
12:01 AM, 16th May 2023, 3 years ago
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has repeated his calls for a rent freeze to help Londoners in the week that the Renters Reform Bill is due to be published.
Mr Khan demanded rent freezing powers last month and in a speech on his delivery of 116,000 affordable homes for Londoners between 2015 and this year, he repeated the call.
He says the capital’s housing crisis is a ‘grave social injustice’ and says it is a ‘brake on growth’.
‘Demanding the Government introduce a rent freeze’
Mr Khan also highlighted the choices he has made when responding to the capital’s housing crises and said: “We’re choosing to take the side of renters by demanding the Government introduce a rent freeze.
“We’re choosing to reject the notion that housing is an asset, rather than a basic necessity.
“And we’re choosing to crackdown on dodgy landlords, stand up for working Londoners and get tough with developers.”
Why there is an urgent need for a rent freeze
Explaining why there is an urgent need for a rent freeze, Mr Khan said: “Of course, we still have a long way to go [in solving the housing crisis].
“I’m not complacent. Even though we’re breaking records, I know not all Londoners will see or feel this progress yet.”
He added: “The fact demand for housing outstrips supply is why I’ll continue fighting the corner of renters – putting pressure on the Government not only to improve renters’ rights, but to give me the powers to introduce a rent control system for London that would allow me to freeze rents and give renters badly needed respite.”
Publish its long-awaited Renters Reform Bill
The government is expected to publish its long-awaited Renters Reform Bill this week.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has promised that the legislation will provide tenants with better protection against arbitrary rent increases.
However, the Conservative Party has repeatedly rejected calls for a rent freeze, warning that such controls would damage supply, standards, and investment in the private rented sector.
‘Measures to improve the rights of tenants’
The Renters Reform Bill will include several measures to improve the rights of tenants.
Along with the much-publicised ban on section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, there will also be a right for tenants to challenge unfair rent increases.
The Conservative Party has said that it is committed to helping tenants, but that it is important to strike a balance between the rights of tenants and the interests of landlords.
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Sadiq Khan calls again for a rent freeze in London
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Member Since November 2020 - Comments: 88
10:46 AM, 16th May 2023, About 3 years ago
Happily have a rent freeze s long as all the costs a LL has to endure are also frozen, Mortgage interest, Council tax, Utilities (if HMO ) etc.
Khan could help by actually building some houses and it seems the majority of rouge LL’s are in social housing not the PRS.
It was on the BBC this morning that Social housing are taking months to provide carpeting that they have ripped out, causing the tenant to have higher bills. Sort your own house out first before blaming others.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3504 - Articles: 5
10:59 AM, 16th May 2023, About 3 years ago
I had to laugh this morning – the issue of lack of flooring in social homes has been like this for years. Wonder why its not hit the headlines before now when there has been amble opportunity for this to be used as a stick to beat the government with?
We have had a winter where insulation and cost of energy has dominated, but nothing was said…
How many people really understand that a decent home standard in the social sector actually means NO carpets. Why aren’t Shelter going hell for leather on this?
Rogue social Landlords I say!
Member Since August 2022 - Comments: 100
11:02 AM, 16th May 2023, About 3 years ago
I am intrigued by his sentence “demand outstrips supply”. Has Mr Khan pondered as to why that might be? And that there might be a link between beating up landlords and reduced supply?
If Mr Khan had the most basic knowledge of economics, he would be putting policies in place to assist in increasing the “supply”, so as to meet the “demand”. And possibly the quickest policy would be to encourage more private landlords to enter the market.
Not exactly rocket science.
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 1996 - Articles: 21
12:29 PM, 16th May 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by DSR at 16/05/2023 – 10:59
Most of the anti-landlord legislation only applies to the PRS. Social housing providers are assumed by politicians to be paragons who don’t need the strictures of threats of massive fines and loss of livelihood for infringement of a plethora of laws.
Guess what? They are not perfect and, as it’s not their money or livelihood on the line, some of their staff take the line of least resistance and deliver poor service.
Member Since August 2016 - Comments: 1190
12:47 PM, 16th May 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 16/05/2023 – 12:29
EPC grade C minimum only applies to the PRS.
Member Since August 2013 - Comments: 33
2:15 PM, 17th May 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Dylan Morris at 16/05/2023 – 12:47
Why?
Member Since August 2016 - Comments: 1190
2:33 PM, 17th May 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by nekillim200 at 17/05/2023 – 14:15
Presumably because the Government know the local councils don’t have the money to upgrade. One rule for them one rule for us.
Member Since December 2021 - Comments: 6
4:11 PM, 19th May 2023, About 3 years ago
Mr Khan and Local Authority are a Law to themselves. They are clueless when it comes to private landlords and the homes they provide to tenant. Yes I understand there are a few bad landlords who need to be penalised but we should be painted with the same brush. There is never good stories about good landlords in the media which is a real shame because there are majority of us doing and providing good homes
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3504 - Articles: 5
5:45 PM, 19th May 2023, About 3 years ago
be quicker to evict him out of office surely? total muppet.