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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a cap on rent increases in line with median wage rises.

The Government is committed to delivering a fairer and more effective rental market that works for both tenants and landlords. We will publish a landmark White Paper this spring that will set out proposals to create a fairer and better quality private rented sector.

The Government does not, however, support the introduction of rent controls to set the level of rent at the outset of a tenancy. Historical evidence suggests that these would discourage investment in the sector, and would lead to declining property standards as a result, which would not help landlords or tenants.

Landlords are able to increase rents during a tenancy as agreed with the tenant in a rent review clause of the tenancy agreement, or via a Section 13 notice up to once a year. If within a periodic tenancy a tenant and landlord are unable to agree on the rent increase they can refer the matter to the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for independent adjudication.