Demonstrators gathered in London on Saturday to protest against the “soaring” rents in the capital.
The London Renters Union (LRU) organised the event to highlight the impact of high rents and to demand controls.
LRU said up to 500 people marched through central London on Saturday to protest “against soaring rents” and “exploitation” of tenants.
The average cost of renting a newly let home in the UK is now £3,240 higher than at the end of the pandemic lockdowns, the latest data from Zoopla shows.
However, rents have been rising more slowly in places with high rental costs, such as London, where they are up 1.3% year-on-year, down from 8.7% growth a year ago.
Nevertheless, with rents in the capital the highest in the country, the LRU argues that many people renting in London are being pushed to the brink as they try to cover the cost.
I understand that rent increases over the last decade have been pushing people into homelessness and making it extremely difficult for others, especially since Covid.
When are these pressure groups going to realise it is Govt policy over 50 years which has resulted in this housing crisis and not the landlords who are generally doing their best to provide decent homes? Investment into the PRS has been in decline since 2017. Rents are increasing due to scarcity, if there were enough to go round it’d be something close to inflation each year.
They should be demending more social housing, that is the real problem.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Part of the problem is that social housing rents are too low, they are unable to do decent repairs and maintenence let alone improvements, and this sets the bar too low. Yes some private rents are too high, but tenants pay them – which drives the rent. Government controls will have the opposite effect – look at Scotland.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
So what’s new here – as others commented above, the Government need to get their act in place pronto as opposed to tenants whinging about Landlords who take the risk of investing to provide accommodation.
Landlords will have purchased having initially paid tax on their earnings, provided affordability on their status, SDLT …. the list goes on.
There again councils chipping in with Landlord / HMO registration- yet fail to maintain their Council property.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Maybe s24 has something to do with high rents especially as properties in London are so expensive for landlords to buy in the first place. Properties in the UK are also older and landlords have to foot the bill to bring them up to an EPC of C by 2030. Landlords are hoping that Labour will be gone by 2030 and EPC’s will remain at an E. More social housing sadly is not the answer as tenants in social housing today pay such low rents councils just cannot afford the upkeep.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register