Nearly half of landlords and three quarters of the general public support rent controls, a poll by YouGov on behalf of wealth inequality not-for-profit Common Wealth has revealed.

Describing the results of the poll, which surveyed 2,157 individuals with varied political, economic and housing tenure backgrounds about a variety of housing issues, Common Wealth argues the results are one argument for introducing rent controls in England.

YouGov also polled a further 4,369 people about rent controls in particular.

Scotland already operates a soon-to-be permanent rent rise control system, while the Welsh government last week rejected rent controls outright.

Rent cap

Of the total number of people surveyed some 184 were landlords and 44% said they would support the most extreme form of rent control, namely a ‘hard ceiling’ or cap on rents being charged, in contrast to controls on annual rent increases and how often they can be introduced by landlords, which Labour favours.

Common Wealth’s report, although praising the landlords for supporting a rent cap, is no friend of the BTL sector, referring to the ‘extraction’ of rent from tenants by landlords rather than rent being ‘charged’.

The report also says: “As a general rule, rents tend to be an income transfer from the young to the old and from the poor to the rich”.

The report goes on to say that: “Efforts to tackle housing inequalities are hampered by a widespread belief that housing is a legitimate and useful investment opportunity.

“Despite a deep-seated belief in private homeownership and a widespread view of houses as investment opportunities, the British public is overwhelmingly supportive of housing reform.

“Implementing rent controls, raising capital gains tax on second homes and buy-to-lets and building far more social housing would represent a departure from the current model of housing provision which is pushing more and more people into unaffordable, unstable and unsafe housing situations.”