Bills are soaring and the cost of renting and energy is hurting renters across the country
We need the Government to introduce temporary measures to help renters get through this crisis.
The Government have now stepped in to cap energy bills at a maximum of £2,500 a month for two years. While this will stop bills spiralling out of control, there is nothing stopping rents from rising.
45% of private renters have had a rent increase in the last year – and 9% were asked to spend more than £100 extra per month.
The Scottish Government has taken action to freeze rent, while the Government in Westminster is capping social rents. Private renters are being left exposed to unaffordable hikes.
Private renters are already struggling the government must support renters this coming winter. With a recession around the corner, it is more important than ever that no renter feels that they have to choose between food and rent and staying warm.
The government rightly stepped in to protect renters during the coronavirus pandemic. We’re facing a similar emergency now that requires the government to act.
We’re calling on the Government to:
- Freeze rents – ban increases in rent for the duration of the crisis
- Suspend evictions – stop landlords evicting without reason, and stop courts automatically evicting tenants with rent arrears
- Unfreeze Local Housing Allowance – rates are frozen at 2019-20 levels
- Increase Discretionary Housing Payment – restore this funding to 2020-21 levels, when £180m was available for renters struggling with housing costs
- Reinstate the £20 per week Universal Credit uplift
- Ban landlords from demanding multiple months’ rent up front – a tactic used to deny benefit claimants a home
- Increase funds to clear rent arrears – the £65m provided in October 2021 to help with covid rent debt needs now to be increased
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