Date of meeting: 20 July 2023

Proposer: Councillor McLeay

Seconder: Councillor Hill

Ward(s) affected: All

Notice of Motion

Green Group

Council notes:

1. Rent in Brighton & Hove is one of the highest in the country, with an average rent of £1,100 which accounts for 50% of the average monthly income;

2. The cost of rent continues to spiral upwards;

3. The quality of rented properties continues to be poor, with the highest proportion of one-bedroom households (24.7%) in England and Wales outside the capital;

4. With 32.9% of residents privately renting, Brighton & Hove has suffered heavily in the housing crisis, with residents priced out of the city;

5. At least two of the parties represented on the council supported devolving powers from government to support rent controls;

6. Politicians continue to waiver on commitments to support renters when they are hit hardest by the housing crisis;

7. There is a desperate need for local authorities to have greater powers over landlords, and to use those powers to tackle a housing market profiting a few at the cost of many;

8. It is interested and attracted by the idea that council leaders should be able to make decisions to freeze rent.

This council resolves to:

9. Request that the Chief Executive writes to both the National Government and the Leader of the Opposition in Westminster making a case for councils to be given the power to freeze private rents in their areas;

10.Call on every party to commit to supporting rent controls at the next General Election;

11. Request that, should any mechanism to introduce rent control be introduced, the Council considers taking immediate action to implement those measures.