Industry voices warn a reported one-year freeze risks worsening supply pressures in the private rented sector
Reports that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering a one-year rent freeze in the private rented sector have drawn sharp warnings from industry figures, arguing the move could undermine investment, restrict supply and compound the impact of incoming rental reforms.
“A one-year rent freeze would be a deeply damaging move and would raise real questions about whether the Chancellor fully understands the role landlords play in keeping the rental market functioning,” said Nicholas Mendes (pictured top, far left), mortgage technical manager at London broker John Charcol.
“The private rented sector is already under pressure from higher mortgage costs, tax changes, and regulation. Freezing rents may sound like a simple short-term fix, but if it pushes more landlords to sell or deters investment, renters could end up facing fewer homes, tighter choice, and even more competition.”
Timothy Douglas (pictured top, second from left), head of policy and campaigns at industry body Propertymark, added: “With the UK government introducing huge regulatory changes through the Renters’ Rights Act, which will ultimately mean less flexibility and higher costs for landlords and tenants, it is alarming to hear reports that the Chancellor is considering additional rent control measures - particularly when housing ministers have recently publicly denounced their role.”
Douglas stressed that evidence from across the UK, particularly in Scotland, show that rent controls restrict supply, deter investment, and reduce choice for tenants.
“Singling out landlords to solve the cost of living is not the answer,” he stressed. “Rent controls risk distorting the market and undermining investment at a time when demand already far outstrips supply.
“If the UK government is serious about improving affordability, it must focus on increasing housing supply and supporting long-term investment in the private rented sector, rather than introducing measures that will ultimately make it harder for renters to find a home.”
Reacting to the report first published in The Guardian, Ben Beadle (pictured top, second from right), chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said “introducing a rent freeze would be a disaster for landlord and investor confidence.”
“Any hope of growing the market – or even retaining the homes that millions of families rely on – would be lost,” he stated. “Such a move would run completely counter to good economic sense and the government’s own prior decision to rule out such measures.”
Research from Pegasus Insight’s Landlord Trends Q1 2026 survey found that 61% of landlords expect to raise rents over the next 12 months. Among those planning increases, 75% cited the Renters’ Rights Act, due to come into effect on Friday, as a factor.
The findings suggest that many landlords are already adjusting their business plans in response to expected changes in regulation, as well as higher operating costs.
“A rent freeze would represent unprecedented intervention in the private sector,” said Mark Long (pictured right), founder and managing director at Pegasus Insight. “Thwart the business plans of the majority of landlords and potentially force some out of business.
“Landlords are not setting rents in a vacuum. Many are already factoring in the impact of the Renters’ Rights [Act], alongside higher costs, and that is feeding directly into pricing decisions.
“Introducing a rent freeze into that environment could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for those already struggling to balance the books.”
For Stephen Kerr (pictured top, far right), director at mortgage broker Kerr & Watson, the plan “just seems like another short sighted binary approach, where the narrative is that all tenants are struggling and all landlords are flourishing.”
“While this may be true in some instances, there are also high-earning tenants who rent for convenience,” he pointed out. “Additionally, many landlords rely on rental profits to support their families, requiring a viable profit margin.
“Ultimately, an increase in landlords feeling everything is stacked against them won’t be good for anyone, if they decide to sell up, pushing rent prices higher long term. I don’t see how the government will benefit from this either as surely this will be another problem to deal with.”
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