Renters make last-ditch plea for Labour to cap sky-high rents in Renters’ Rights Bill

Renters have called on Angela Rayner to take action over record-high rents as the Renters’ Rights Bill is set to finally be approved by MPs – but the former housing secretary won’t be in place to see the bill make it into law after her resignation.

The long-awaited bill, which is set to scrap no-fault evictions among a raft of reforms to give tenants more security, was first promised by the Tories six years ago and has taken a year to pass through parliament under Labour.

It will return to the House of Commons on Monday (8 September) for a final debate after clearing the Lords before the summer recess. 

After the debate, the legislation will enter ‘ping-pong’ between the two houses but is expected to be agreed before parliament breaks again on 16 September for conference season. Large parts of the bill will likely come into force next year, following an implementation period.

Campaigners from Generation Rent called on Rayner, who resigned from her housing brief and her deputy leader role after admitting to underpaying stamp duty paid on a flat in Hove, East Sussex, to step in before the bill is approved to take action over the cost of private renting. Now they are hoping housing minister Matthew Pennycook can take up the challenge.

Affordability is considered outside the scope of the bill, which only includes measures to ban landlords and letting agents from stoking bidding wars between tenants.

That’s despite rents reaching record-highs.

A letter from more than 4,000 Generation Rent members to Rayner and Pennycook, seen by Big Issue, said:  “We are over 4,000 private renters and supporters in England and we need your help. We urge you to take immediate action to address the soaring cost of renting.

“The Renters’ Rights Bill is a welcome first step in giving us stronger protections from eviction, better standards, and greater power to challenge exploitative landlord behaviour…

“For decades, private landlords have had free rein to set rents as they please. The result? Skyrocketing prices and renters like us pushed to breaking point.

“We urge you to introduce a limit on rent increases based on what we can afford, not what landlords could get for an empty property. It’s a cost-free policy that shows your commitment to putting more money in our pockets and helping us to stay in our homes.”

The most recent Office for National Statistics figures show private rents increased by 5.9% across the UK to £1,343 a month in the 12 months up to July 2025.

That’s the highest point on record, but the rate at which rents have been rising has been on the decline in recent months.

But rents have outstripped wages and wider inflation for much of the last two years.

That means average monthly rent in 2024 is more than £200 above affordable levels on average, the Resolution Foundation said recently, meaning that tenants are seeing their finances pushed to breaking point.

Read more:

• Turns out Nigel Farage isn’t prime minister. So why does he get so much airtime?
• Building 1.5 million homes will only ‘make a dent’ in housing crisis, warns Angela Rayner
• Harass and humiliate: Angela Rayner is the public face of a common workplace experience

Generation Rent now hopes that Rayner will intervene to cap rents. But rent controls have long been rejected in Westminster, citing the risk of declining standards in the sector.

Ben Twomey, chief executive at Generation Rent, said: “High rents are pulling people under and into poverty. When we are forced to spend too much of our income on rent, the consequences ripple across the rest of our lives. It means children are going to school hungry, and older renters can’t afford to turn the heating on. People end up treading water just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. There’s so little room to breathe that even the slightest unexpected cost can turn the tide against us.  

“That’s why thousands of renters have joined together, demanding the government take action on unfair rents. With renters in some of our biggest cities facing the most back-breaking costs, the government must urgently give metro mayors the power to slam the brakes on soaring rents.”

Roz Spencer, head of service at renter advocacy initiative Safer Renting, said the Renters’ Rights Bill means Prime Minister Keir Starmer must act fast to ensure that Rayner’s replacement can bring the bill into law as quickly as possible.

“Millions of renters are in limbo right now as they continue to await the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Bill, with no fault evictions and the torment of yet another house move a very real possibility for many,” said Spencer.

“This is one of the most critical junctures in housing in decades and whoever the prime minister appoints, they must take the baton seamlessly and act decisively to tackle the crisis in the private rented sector, and place affordability at the top of the agenda.”

Oli Sherlock, managing director of insurance at Goodlord, said the Renters’ Rights Bill is unlikely to see too many changes before it is granted royal assent.

“There are a few elements that remain undecided and which will be debated on Monday,” said Sherlock.

“This includes the details around pets in lets and whether tenants will be required to take out pet insurance to cover any potential damage. However, we don’t predict any major surprises. As a rule, expect any government-backed amendments from the Lords debate to be approved by the Commons, and assume that the majority of opposition amendments won’t make it into the final version of the bill. 

“This means that we are incredibly close to this legislation becoming a reality and the beginning of the implementation period. Agents and their landlords must prioritise preparation, education, and internal reforms to ensure they can embrace the changes with minimal disruption.”

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Reader-funded since 1991 – Big Issue brings you trustworthy journalism that drives real change.

Every day, our journalists dig deeper, speaking up for those society overlooks.

Could you help us keep doing this vital work? Support our journalism from £5 a month.