Angela Rayner has ruled out rent controls in England, saying the government is not pursuing rent freezes and does not see them as the right answer for the private rented sector.
The housing secretary told the BBC that the Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force in May, is already changing how the market works. She said controls used elsewhere in the UK had not necessarily brought rents down, drawing a line under a policy that Prime Minister Andy Burnham had backed when he was mayor of Greater Manchester.
For landlords, that matters because it points to the government’s current direction of travel. Ministers still want tighter rules, but the immediate focus appears to be on the new rental regime already in force rather than an additional cap on rent increases in England.
What Rayner said about rent controls
In the BBC interview, Rayner said rent freezes and rent controls were not the way forward at present. Instead, she pointed to the post-Renters’ Rights Act system, under which rents can now only be raised once a year to the property’s open market rent.
That does not remove political pressure. Rent controls remain popular with some campaigners and some parts of the left, especially as affordability remains tight in many cities. But Rayner’s remarks are the clearest signal yet that ministers do not plan to add a separate England-wide cap on top of the rules already introduced this year.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on growing tenant support for rent controls, which showed how strongly the idea still resonates politically even as landlord groups warn it would hit supply. The latest statement suggests the government is choosing market-rent limits under the Renters’ Rights Act over a harder cap for now.
Why this matters for landlords now
For landlords, the practical point is that the current rent-setting framework remains unchanged. The government is still defending the Renters’ Rights Act as its main reform vehicle, and that means compliance with the existing rules matters more than guessing at a fresh rent-control policy that may never arrive.
There is also a timing angle here. Burnham has only just taken office as prime minister, and Rayner’s intervention comes early enough to calm fears that England could quickly follow a stronger rent-control model. That may remove one immediate policy risk, even if wider pressure over affordability and rental supply remains under pressure in England.
Landlords will also note that the politics is not settled. London mayor Sadiq Khan and others have argued for caps before, and campaigners will keep pressing while rents stay high. But for now, the government’s public line is that supply, not a freeze, is the better route.
For the latest direct statement, landlords can read the BBC report on Rayner’s interview.
What this means for landlords
- If you’re reviewing rents: the current rule still applies – one increase a year, set at open market rent, with no new England-wide cap announced.
- Watch for: further political pressure if affordability worsens over the autumn or if rent growth stays elevated.
- If you’re budgeting for 2027: policy risk has not vanished, but the threat of an immediate rent freeze looks lower after Rayner’s comments.
- Check: that tenancy paperwork and evidence behind any increase would stand up under the post-Renters’ Rights Act regime.
- Bottom line: landlords still face tighter regulation, but rent controls are not the next step ministers are backing today.
Editor’s view
Landlords will take this as a small but real relief. The bigger message, though, is that ministers still think the answer lies in tighter regulation of the existing market rather than making the market easier to expand.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 27 July 2026
Sources: BBC, GOV.UK
Related reading: Rayner returns to housing brief as landlord rules loom
📘 Renters’ Rights Act: Complete Landlord Guide
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