Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing (a) a rent freeze in London and (b) other rent controls on (i) levels of homelessness, (ii) the availability of housing stock in the private rented sector and (iii) levels of affordability for tenants.

The Government does not support freezing rents as a form of rent control. Evidence suggests that rent controls discourage investment in the sector and lead to declining property standards as a result. This would help neither landlords nor tenants. International examples also suggest that rent controls can have a negative impact on the supply of housing and may encourage illegal subletting.