RENTING
As a rent freeze comes into place in Scotland, what are the chances of the rest of the UK following?
The Scottish government has pressed ahead with emergency legislation to freeze rents to help tenants get through the cost-of-living crisis.
The Cost of Living (Protection of Tenants) (Scotland) Bill was fast-tracked through Holyrood last week after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the measure would be brought in alongside an eviction ban until at least March.
There have been plenty of calls for private renters in England and Wales to receive the same measure.
Members of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, including Generation Rent and ACORN, have urged the Westminster government to introduce a freeze while Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been asking for one for two years.
But there is little chance of a freeze arriving in England. While matters might have changed under Liz Truss’s leadership – and her Growth Plan so far suggests not – the Conservative stance is that rent control measures don’t work. Former rough sleeping minister Eddie Hughes said this summer rent controls would “discourage investment” and lead to “declining property standards”.
A rent freeze might be more likely in Wales. Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price made the call ahead of First Minister’s Questions on September 27. He said: “We need rents to be frozen, not people – who risk being unable to afford to heat their home, or worse, be forced out on to the street.”
The Office for National Statistics found the median monthly rent in England was £795 between April 2021
