Manjinder Kaur Atwal, director of housing law at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, said: “The debate around rent controls is often presented as an either/or choice, but the reality is more complex. Whether or not rent controls are introduced, the fundamental challenge remains the chronic shortage of affordable housing.
“Many tenants are already facing rents that are simply unaffordable, while landlords are dealing with rising costs of their own. Any long-term solution must increase the supply of genuinely affordable homes alongside measures that provide greater security and fairness for tenants.
“The Housing Secretary is right to acknowledge that delivering 1.5 million homes will be challenging, but increasing housing supply will be critical if we are to ease pressure on rents and reduce homelessness over the longer term.
“Many tenants struggling with rising rents will inevitably be disappointed. However, rent controls alone would not resolve the wider housing crisis. Lasting change will depend on increasing the supply of affordable housing and ensuring tenants have effective legal protections.”
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