Sadiq Khan is pushing for the power to cap rents in London
Sadiq Khan has said that on the back of the new Renters’ Rights Act, the government should provide the mayor with the power to cap rents in the capital.
This comes as Khan announced a £400,000 funding package to help inform tenants of their rights under the incoming Renters’ Rights Act and combat rogue landlords who violate the new rules.
The Renters’ Rights Act will become law from 1 May 2026, introducing several changes at how private tenancies are governed in England. Among these is the end of all fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies, which will now migrate to assured tenancies with no fixed term.
Citing YouGov polling that three quarters of Londoners would support a cap in annual rent increases, Khan pushed Westminster to pass the necessary legislation that would allow the mayor to implement rent caps in their cities.
New rules introduced in the Renters’ Rights Act already help to curb unreasonable rent rises, but Khan is seeking to build on these regulations by asking for the power to implement city-wide caps on rent and how much landlords can hike rent each year.
If the power to implement rent controls was devolved to mayoral authorities, Khan has said he will implement caps on rent rises in London but exempt new build-to-let homes to ensure that affordable homes continue to be built in the city.
The new fund will support renters to take dodgy landlords to tribunal, provide them with resources to make them aware of their improved rights, and train law enforcement officers on the new rules.
Alongside the new fund, the Mayor will launch a new campaign in April to make Londoners aware of the changes coming from 1 May, which will include online advertising and posters on the TfL network.
“We are seeing the biggest expansion of renters’ rights for a generation – this is a change that I have long called for and will transform the lives of London’s 2.7 million renters,” Khan said.
“I’m pleased to announce a new Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund so that renters in London know their new rights, from a ban on no fault evictions to tribunals to challenge unreasonable rent hikes.”
“I believe the next step is for Ministers to devolve the power to cap rents so we can tackle the capital’s problems of both affordability and supply. And the evidence is clear – Londoners would overwhelmingly back new plans to put a cap on rent increases in the capital,” he said.
