The House of Commons library has published a briefing paper which provides an overview of the debate around rent controls.
The paper extensively quotes research that the RLA commissioned Christine Whitehead and Peter Williams of the London School of Economics to prepare last year.
Specifically, the briefing paper quotes the conclusions of Whitehead & Williams with regard to what impact rent controls could have.
The topic of rent controls made headlines recently, when last month, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, pledged to fight for rent controls in the capital – with the campaign set to be a key part of his bid for re-election next year.
However at the time, the RLA warned that rent controls have been proved to have a detrimental effect on renters and rented housing.
John Stewart, RLA policy manager said at the time: “It is curious that the Mayor is considering introducing rent controls at a time when rents in London are falling in real terms according to official data”
Learn more
- Interested in reading more of the latest research from the RLA? Visit the RLA’s private evidence, analysis, and research lab, PEARL, here.
I have no doubt that Sadique Khan is well aware of the damage rent controls have done to rental housing stock in other cities around the world where it has been introduced, not to mention our own previous failed experiment in this country. However, facts don’t win votes or political supporters.