Jeremy Corbyn reveals Labour will crack down even harder on rental sector

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has announced that if he wins power the private rented sector would see the introduction of tougher regulation under his government.

He told The Guardian newspaper today that this would include more secure tenancies, the adoption of the Conservative’s plans to ban outright fees charged to tenants, and the prevention of unreasonable rent increases. He said these would all be wrapped up within a new charter of private tenants’ rights.

“We will tackle soaring rents in the private rented sector through regulation,” Jeremy Corbyn also announced on his campaign website.

Labour also plans to build a million new homes including half a million new council properties during its first five years in office.

“We will rebuild and transform Britain by building council homes and homes that first-time buyers can afford,” he says.

Priorities

“There are obviously many priorities but the crisis of housing and setting in train a housing programme that would build more council housing at socially affordable rents and ensuring there is proper regulation of the private rental sector is a very high priority for me,” Jeremy Corbyn told The Guardian.

Labour strategists believe housing is one of the key concerns of ‘generation rent’ while official figures show there are over a million people on local authority housing lists.

And Research by Which? released over the weekend reveal that getting on – and staying on – the property ladder are one of the three most important concerns for half of all 18 to 34 year-olds and 28% of all ages.