Green leader Zack Polanski has slammed landlords in one of his first major speeches.
His wide-ranging speech on his party’s economic policies, Polanski says: “If we had frozen rents in autumn 2022, households in Britain would be saving over £3,300 per year on average.
“Across Britain, that would put £18 billion of purchasing power back in the pockets of ordinary people – money that could be spent in local businesses, buying a coffee on the way to work or a few pints at the end of a hard week.
“Instead? straight into landlords’ pockets – leaving our high streets hollowed out.
“[Green MP] Carla Denyer tried to fix this scandal, pushing for rent controls to be included in the Renters Rights Bill – but this Labour government just wouldn’t listen.
“A Green government would bring in rent controls. We would stop the chokehold of rip-off rents and breathe life back into our communities.”
Polanski also called on the government to guarantee that households would not see energy price rises among the oil price crisis, using a rise in Capital Gains Tax and a tightened windfall tax to pay the cost.
He added that over two million council homes have now been sold under right to buy since it was introduced and many are now increasingly owned by private landlords, property developers and investment firms “who treat those homes, and their tenants, as cash cows”.
“One in six private renters is now renting a former council home, often at extortionate rates – and often partly paid for by the government in the form of housing benefit,” he adds.
“Another example of a system which is not only totally unfair but utterly incoherent.
“So we need to end right to buy completely. Build more council homes. And control rents so everyone can afford a decent roof over their heads.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today