More than half of private renters (55%) reckon a new government should introduce rent controls.

Generation Rent’s poll of 1,000 renters found that in the past two years, 55% had experienced rent increases, 34% faced maintenance issues that weren’t fixed, while 30% had mould in their home.

Two-thirds (64%) think the state of renting is going to get worse in the next few years, although many believe there is potential for politicians to respond positively to a groundswell of public opinion.

However, it looks unlikely that they will get their wish as although the Greens and Plaid Cymru are in favour of rent controls, and the Liberal Democrats want to ensure rent can only increase by a fair amount each year, which they describe as ‘rent smoothing’, both the Conservative and Labour manifestos did not include the policy.

Scotland’s rent cap – which has evolved into a more complicated system with the maximum possible increase set at 12% - has been branded a failure by landlords as recent ONS figures reveal that the country has seen the highest rent increases of any UK nation, at 10.9%.

Despite this, the Scottish government has published plans to introduce longer-term rent controls in the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

Million

Generation Rent believes one million private renters could miss out on their vote on 4th July because 70% have moved home since 2019.

The latest British Election Study in May 2023 found that 6.7% of private renters were not registered, amounting to 455,000 voters while a further 8.1% were registered at a different address – equivalent to 548,000 voters.

Deputy chief executive Dan Wilson Craw (pictured) says: “The election is a huge opportunity for renters to use our democratic voice to call for better renting. We urge anyone who has moved home since the last general election to make sure they’re registered to vote by Tuesday night.”