Tenants must be protected from extortionate rent, Brighton renters union says
Union ACORN says while they support the Renter's Rights bill - it must go further and cap rent
A union which represents tenants in Brighton says a new Renters' Rights Bill must tackle affordability in the private sector.
Yesterday, MPs discussed the bill, which would see a ban on no fault evictions and upfront payments capped to a maximum of four weeks of rent.
While in support of the changes - now community union ACORN is urging the government to consider capping rent prices.
Their Brighton branch organiser Toby Sedgwick, whose being forced out of the city with his family due to rising costs, said affordability is the "biggest issue" facing local renters:
"I have never paid less than 50% of my income for rent and that's a pretty standard story across Brighton
"I think the average rent for one bed flat in Brighton is now 73% of the average wage in Brighton.
So especially if you're a single person on your own, it's basically impossible to afford to live in in a rented rented house."
He continued that a failure to cap rent prices could make the ban on Section 21 - no fault evictions - redundant:
"The end of section 21 kind of doesn't mean anything, because if your landlord can still turn around and say I can't section 21 you, but I can put up your rent by £500 a month, it's the same thing.
"You're still going to have to leave, so we need some form of rent control.
"We're fighting to make sure that this this does happen and we will keep fighting. And obviously the more support we get, the better."
Housing charity Shelter also called for the Government to go further by limiting the amount rent can rise by during a tenancy.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: "To truly make renting more secure and affordable, the Bill must limit in-tenancy rent increases in line with either inflation or wage growth.
"It must also stamp out the other discriminatory practices, like unnecessary demands for guarantors, that drive homelessness by locking people out of private renting."