Manchester is the latest city to call for government to give it the authority to introduce rent controls via new ‘pressure zones’ within which rent rises would be restricted.

These measures are similar to the rent controls already being enforced within many urban areas of Scotland, and come just three months after London mayor Sadiq Khan made a similar move.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority says it needs the rent controls after a report into the city’s private residential market that it commissioned also called for some forms of rent control to be introduced.

But the proposals have been heavily criticised by the Residential Landlords Association, which has its headquarters within the city.

“Rent controls are on the face of it an attractive but simplistic and populist approach to the increased cost of housing,” says its Policy Manager, John Stewart (left).

“In reality they make the situation for tenants worse. All the evidence from around the world where they have been introduced shows that they reduce supply and drive up the cost of housing.

“Having controls on rent is not much help to a person who cannot find somewhere to live because of the cut in the number of properties available.

“Instead, the Mayor of Greater Manchester needs to work with the private rented sector on how to boost the supply of homes for rent to meet ever growing demand.”