Labour often talks a good game on housing. Sir Keir Starmer’s party acknowledges the need to reform planning laws to deliver abundant housing, beautiful architecture, supportive infrastructure and green spaces — which makes it even more disappointing that the party can’t, or won’t, rule out a policy that would make the housing sector more dysfunctional: rent control.
Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, recently left the door open for rent caps, stating that while they weren’t national policy, “local areas should decide”. Sadiq Khan, Labour’s London mayor, and Andy Burnham, Manchester’s mayor, have lobbied for such powers, while a Labour-commissioned report recently recommended a renters’ “double-lock”. Under this proposal, landlords could raise rents within tenancies only by the lower of local wage growth or inflation each
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