Bristolians asked to back Carla Denyer MP and call for rent controls

Community union ACORN is urging people to contact their MPs to back Bristol Central MP Carla Denyer in her bid for the UK to introduce rent controls. Labour’s Renters Rights Bill sets out to change the laws around private renting in the UK but the government has not included measures to limit rents to rates which are affordable.

Green party MP Carla Denyer has added an ‘amendment’ to the original bill to introduce rent controls. According to new research, Bristol is now the least affordable place to rent outside of London with private renters needing an income of £70,000 to live ‘comfortably’ in the city.

And, while Labour’s Renters Reform Bill limits rent increases above the market rate, it does not address the fact that in places like Bristol the market rate is unaffordable for many. If Denyer’s amendment was included in the bill it would mean that local incomes would need to be considered when setting the rates of private rents.

Her amendment to the bill, supported by the Renter’s Reform Coalition, which includes ACORN, would require the Secretary of State to establish an Independent Living Rent body which would set rules around how much landlords and agencies would be allowed to charge tenants. Denyer and ACORN, alongside others who back the idea, are calling on members of the public to write to their MPs before a vote takes place in the new year and urge them to sign the amendment submitted by Denyer.

Speaking about the Renter’s Reform Bill, the Bristol Central MP and co-leader of the Green Party said: “This is a once in a generation opportunity to recognise the rights of the 11 million people living in private rented housing to have a safe, decent and secure home. A chance to stop tenants being constantly uprooted and fleeced to pay for a roof over their heads.

“In particular, we need a national system for rent controls with local flexibility aimed at bringing rents down relative to incomes. We also need to tackle rented properties that are plagued with cold, damp or mould.

“We need to see a clear commitment to energy efficiency in the Bill to end the scandal of around 5 million renters living in such appalling conditions . Such a Bill is long overdue.

“Greens hope it can be made even better and become truly transformative. Let’s make sure we use this opportunity to shift how we think about renting, moving away from viewing housing as assets, to prioritising and valuing the right to a stable home – in policy and practice.”

There has not yet been any official confirmation as to when the parliamentary vote will take place but it could be as early as January, with only a few days notice given between the official confirmation and the vote on rent controls. “The more we can get people to write to their MPs, the more we can make MPs realise that this is something their constituents want,” explained Denyer.

“People need to write to their MPs asking them to sign my amendment," she added. "The more MPs who co-sign it, the more likely it is for the Speaker of the House to select that amendment as one of the things to be debated and voted on."

Backing the calls for rent controls put forward by the Bristol MP, ACORN co-founder and Head Organiser, Nick Ballard stated in a recent communication to members: “Our union supports calls by the Renters Reform Coalition, of which we are a member, to cap rent increases and do more to bring rents down.

“We are calling for MPs to sign on to Amendment NC7 by Carla Denyer (for rent control) and amendments 5, 6 and 9 by Paula Barker (for capping in tenancy rent rises). But we need your help! Use this tool to message your MP and urge them to sign up to these amendments and show their support.”

You can find all amendments to the Bill here . ACORN has provided a template to support people to write to their MP, which can be found here .