Home » News » Ipsos Mori poll reveals overwhelming public support for rent controls
Regulation & Law

Ipsos Mori poll reveals overwhelming public support for rent controls

Despite industry opposition voters have signalled their support for the idea but the poll didn't outline exactly what kind of rent controls were meant.

Nigel Lewis

rent controls

A poll by Ipsos Mori of voters across the UK has found that 71% of those canvassed supported the idea of rent controls and that only 9% opposed them.

The Labour party has claimed that the poll backs their plan to introduce more radical housing policies, highlighted during their General Election campaign.

Labour are proposing national controls to cap rents at inflation with powers at a local level for authorities to limit increases even further.

A majority of respondents also told Ipsos Mori they backed Labour plans to build 150,000 more council and housing association homes and, by a margin of three to one, agreed that there was more that could be done to solve the housing crisis.

Rent controls

These polling results may explain why housing secretary Robert Jenrick this week revealed that of re-elected the government would consider limited controls on rent rises.

But the Ipsos Mori poll results will also be a comfort to Conservative party strategist. Only 23% of all respondents said housing would be a decisive factor in how they voted during tomorrow’s General Election, although this percentage increased to 28% among younger voters.

And the Conservatives and Lib Dems were the most trusted to sort out the housing crisis should they form the next government, with Labour trailing third. Among those polled, the environment and the health service were more important than housing when deciding who put their cross against on their ballot paper.

Link to Comment on Rent ControlsBut industry opposition to rent controls remains strong, and leading agent David Alexander (left) recently wrote in The Negotiator magazine outlining his opposition to the measure, saying: “At its heart, the rent control argument fails to accept that the causes of increased rents are complex and that perceived landlord greed, although a politically potent view, is not actually a part of this.”

December 11, 2019

What's your opinion?

Please note: This is a site for professional discussion. Comments will carry your full name and company.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.