Rent crisis: Chances of government agreeing to capped rents in Bristol ‘not high’, admits Mayor

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees has admitted he is sceptical that the government will allow the introduction of ‘capped rents’ to help tackle the city’s ever-growing rent crisis.

Campaigners are demanding Bristol’s political leaders lobby the government for extra powers that will help them regulate the city’s rental market after rent prices shot up by a whopping 52% in the past decade.

During that time, wages have only increased by 24%, leaving thousands struggling.

When BristolWorld searched for two-bed properties currently up for rent across the city, we found the cheapest in Redland was £1,100, in Bedminster £1,100 and in Cotham £1,300 - comparable to infamously hefty rents in sought-after areas of London such as Highgate and Blackheath.

While Bristol City Council backs the possibility of capped rents and is holding a renter’s summit to discuss how it could work later this month, nothing can get off the ground until the government grants the local authority the powers it needs to intervene.

At a press briefing today (Wednesday, February 16) Mr Rees said he believed the chances of this were ‘not high’.

“I don’t think rent controls are the kind of intervention the Conservative government are inclined towards as their emphasis is more on home ownership,” he added.

“But during the course of our renter’s summit we’re going to be working up some raw material for the government to begin to work with.

“As part of that, we’ll be talking about the benefits that can be gained from enabling us to intervene.

“Affordable rents mean stable communities, and stable communities are healthier, safer, have an improved level of educational attainment and are less inclined to leave public services, such as the NHS.

“We’ll be selling that case to the government in terms of fairness and justice, but it also makes financial sense for the government to recognise the changing nature of housing and make sure their legislation catches up accordingly.”

Mr Rees also suggested that introducing any kind of rent control scheme would be a drawn-out process that may not happen for a while, despite some locals already being priced out of the city or even at risk of homelessness.

While rent controls are increasingly popular in many European nations, it is claimed that they can lead to lower numbers of properties available to rent.

Shelter said it was concerned that in markets where demand outstrips supply, landlords may also discriminate on a tenant’s characteristics rather than price.

Mr Rees added: “Sometimes, there are things that look great and people don’t anticipate the unintended consequences.

“Any move on this has to be very careful, taking into account the lessons learned in places where there are already rent controls.

Mr Rees added that the Council would be in a better position to ward off any negative consequences of a rent control scheme by building more homes.

“Any challenge to the supply of rent will have to be made up by the government investing in the capacity for local authorities to deliver affordable homes and social rents,” he said.

“We have already brought forward an incredibly ambitious approach to housebuilding in the city, probably the most ambitious in the country.

“With the challenges we face bringing brownfield sites within the city forward, the government need to step up and put the investment on the table.”

Speaking before Mr Rees’ comments, ACORN Bristol branch secretary, Jo Sparkes, said: “Everyone deserves decent, affordable and secure housing.

“ACORN has fought for it for years in Bristol and it’s about time that we started pushing the government for proper controls on rent, which is absolutely extortionate for most ordinary Bristolians.

“We have consistently campaigned for the council to push for rent controls and welcome the Bristol administration’s renewed commitment on this issue.”