Darren Johnson Green Assembly Member for London, has renewed
his call for rent controls and more security as official statistics show
that the median private rent in London rose 5% in the year to September 2012,
compared to inflation (RPI) which was at 2.6%. The figures come out as the
Mayor launched the consultation on his voluntary London Rental Standard. Rents
rose fastest (10%) for family homes with 4 bedrooms or more. The median rent in
London, at £1,150pcm, is now double the national median rent, which remains unchanged
at £575/month.
Darren Johnson commented,
The Mayor has ruled out any meaningful reform to slow rent
rises, preferring voluntary accreditation. That is positive but far from
enough. We give our tenants some of the weakest protections in Europe, we
should copy the smart rent controls and security enjoyed by tenants in
countries like France and Germany where rent can’t rise faster than inflation
guaranteeing fairness and predictability for tenants and landlords.
We cannot go on pricing low paid workers out of swathes of
London, it’s hurting our economy and the aspirations of a priced out
generation.
