Over 70% of Brits support rent controls according to polls

New research shows how 72% of the British public would support the introduction of rent controls to help get people into housing.

The news comes as inflation is at 9%, rents have reached record levels, with average monthly prices reaching £795, and the average house price also at a record high of £271,613.

According to a poll by market research company Ipsos, only 7% of the Brits opposed the idea of rent controls, while 65% also supported measures to increase council tax on second and empty homes.

The majority didn’t feel confident the situation would improve, with 67% feeling it was unlikely there would be enough affordable new homes built within the next few years.

Ben Marshall, Research Director at Ipsos, said: ‘It is a sign of the pessimism surrounding housing in Britain that people expect things to get worse in terms of the two features of the housing crisis they consider to be the most important – rising house prices and building enough affordable homes.

‘It is not that they see Governments as unable to do anything about housing; there continues to be a strong sense of “do something” and ongoing support for different policy responses. The extension of Right to Buy receives majority support but so too do rent controls and giving local government more powers to tackle second and empty homes.’

More than a third believe a lack of affordable homes and high house prices are the biggest housing problems facing the UK, with two-thirds (66%) expecting house prices to increase in their local area.

56% of participants were supportive of an extension of the Right to Buy scheme to housing associations, but there are uncertainties housing stock supply will be able to keep up with demand.

The government’s plans to allow benefit claimants to use welfare payments towards a mortgage have also been highlighted as misleading by critics.

If a claimant’s savings are over £6,000 the amount of Universal Credit they can receive is tapered down and if they top £16,000 their payments stop entirely.

Photo by Yaopey Yong