Rayner rules out rent controls, admitting they won’t bring bills down for tenants

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has said she is not looking at bringing in rent controls. She said changes made through renters’ rights legislation brought in under Labour so far “are already having a significant impact on the market”. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said: “We won’t be looking at rent controls if that’s what you’re getting at at the moment. “That is not something that we’re looking to do because we’ve seen what’s happened in areas like Scotland. It hasn’t necessarily brought rents down. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! “We see it as actually it’s an aspiration that people say… that’s the floor rather than doing doing the work to bring rents down. “I think the work we’ve done to make sure that landlords are giving people fair rents, people can challenge rent hikes at tribunal now making sure that people are not being in bidding wars to get to get rents now is actually having an impact on the market, which is more favourable to renters, and I think that’s a better way of stabilising the rental market.” Asked whether Prime Minister Andy Burnham still stood by a call he backed three years ago for a freeze on private sector rents until the cost of living crisis is over, she said: “I don’t think that freezing rent freezes, rent controls is a way forward at the moment … three years ago Andy called for that because there was a significant crisis in the rental market. “We implemented between then the Renters’ Rights Act which is giving renters more power and control.” Comment now