Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has ruled out a freeze on rents as part of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's package of cost of living measures, appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning to address speculation that had built up over recent days.
Rayner was questioned by Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt on what the public could expect from Burnham's promised support, after reports suggested a rent freeze was among the options being considered by the new government. Confirming it would not go ahead, Rayner's position is consistent with warnings she has given previously that rent controls risk undermining the supply of homes available to rent.
From "Considering" to Ruled Out
Only days into his premiership, Burnham had declined to rule out a rent freeze when asked directly, telling reporters it was "premature to say it will be any one of those particular things" while insisting the government wanted to do things people would "feel and feel quite quickly." That openness prompted a sharp response from the property sector, with Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, arguing there was a need to rule out any form of rent control, and pointing out that Rayner herself, along with the cross-party Housing Select Committee, had previously warned that rent controls would undermine the supply of homes to rent.
Today's confirmation from Rayner effectively closes down that possibility, aligning the government's position with her long-standing view on the issue rather than the more open stance Burnham had struck earlier in the week.
A Tough Interview on Delivery
The rent freeze question came during a wider interview in which Rayner faced sustained pressure from Charlie Stayt over the government's broader housing delivery record. Stayt pushed Rayner for specific, measurable commitments, telling her that repeatedly asking the public to "give it time" risked sounding like prevarication a year into the job.
Rayner pointed to the delivery of just over 12,000 new social rental council homes in the past year, and said this figure would increase, though she declined to give a specific target for how much. She said the complexity of national housebuilding programmes made exact figures difficult to guarantee, comparing it to the unpredictability of home renovation projects.
The exchange drew a strong reaction from viewers, with a number saying on social media that they had switched over from the programme, frustrated at what some described as a lack of concrete answers.
Why It Matters
The rent freeze question has been one of the most closely watched aspects of Burnham's early cost of living agenda, given his campaign rhetoric on affordability and the contrast with the more cautious approach typically associated with the Treasury. Ruling it out removes one option landlords and the property sector had been most anxious about, but it also leaves open the question of what concrete steps the government will take instead to address the cost of renting, an issue Rayner did not fully resolve during the interview.
View this post on X