Generation Rent tells Labour it risks losing traditionally safe urban seats if it continues to resist caps on rent increases.
17th Dec 20251 419 1 minute read Simon Cairnes
Labour’s refusal to back rent controls risks triggering an electoral backlash from private renters, one of the party’s strongest voting blocs, according to Generation Rent’s Head of Campaigns Nye Jones (pictured).
Writing on Labour-aligned platform LabourList, Jones argues that the Government is failing to address the single biggest issue affecting tenants – the cost of renting.
While ministers have pledged sweeping reforms through the Renters’ Rights Act, due to come into force in May 2026, he says the legislation contains a “glaring hole” because it “does not tackle the soaring cost of renting”.
reliance on housebuildingHe challenges Labour’s over-reliance on housebuilding as the primary solution to rising rents. Even if the Government meets its target of 1.5 million new homes, he says Generation Rent’s modelling shows this would reduce rent inflation in England by just 1.8 percentage points.
Instead, he is urging Labour to introduce limits on annual rent increases, linked to the lower of inflation or wage growth. Jones describes this as a “common sense solution” that would protect renters from sudden, unaffordable rent hikes while still allowing landlords to raise rents modestly.
Private renters were the most likely tenure type to vote Labour in 2024.”
“Private renters were the most likely tenure type to vote Labour in 2024,” and he adds that recent polling shows Labour is now losing support “twice as fast to parties on the left as to those on the right”.
He points to the Greens’ support for rent controls and warns that Labour risks losing traditionally safe urban seats if it continues to resist caps on rent increases.
He also challenges Labour’s positioning as a party for “working people”, arguing that many landlords are asset-rich rather than wage-dependent. Just 42 per cent of landlords declare mortgage interest payments on their tax returns, he says, while two-thirds are retired.
Jones concludes by warning that failing to act on rents risks alienating the voters who helped deliver Labour’s landslide victory, turning housing costs into a growing political liability.
Tagsrent controls 17th Dec 20251 419 1 minute read Simon Cairnes Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email
