Polanski proposes three-year cap on rent increases

Green Party leader Zack Polanski used his conference speech in Brighton on October 2 to propose a three-year cap on private rent increases, urging the government to limit annual rises to whichever is lowest: consumer price inflation, wage growth or 2%. The proposal is a party plan, not enacted policy. Polanski said a temporary cap would give renters breathing space while wages catch up with rents. He also proposed a longer-term Fair Rents Guarantee intended to keep rents affordable after the three-year period. The reporting did not specify how that guarantee would work or how the cap would be enforced. The plan would constrain how much landlords could raise rents during the period, including where their costs were rising. Polanski said it was intended to prevent sudden increases and stop rent rises being used to force tenants from their homes. The Green Party has argued that rising housing costs are putting pressure on renters, including younger people and families. The proposal drew a warning from Propertymark, a trade body for property agents.