My Department regularly reviews research and evidence related to various aspects of the private rented sector.

The government has no plans to introduce rent controls in the private rented sector.

Rent inflation in England has been easing since the end of 2024. Average rents in England increased by 3.4% in the 12 months to June, down from a peak of 9.2% in November 2024. In England, annual rent inflation was lowest in London, at 2.2%.

The government has no plans to introduce rent controls in the private rented sector.

Rent inflation in England has been easing since the end of 2024. Average rents in England increased by 3.4% in the 12 months to June, down from a peak of 9.2% in November 2024. In England, annual rent inflation was lowest in London, at 2.2%.

My Department regularly reviews research and evidence related to various aspects of the private rented sector.

The government has no plans to introduce rent controls in the private rented sector.

Rent inflation in England has been easing since the end of 2024. Average rents in England increased by 3.4% in the 12 months to June, down from a peak of 9.2% in November 2024. In England, annual rent inflation was lowest in London, at 2.2%.

Shared ownership rents are set through lease agreements between shared owners and their landlords and are typically subsidised. Providers are generally encouraged to set initial rents at no more than 2.75% of the value of the unacquired share.

For new shared ownership leases issued from October 2023, annual rent increases are capped at a maximum of Consumer Prices Index plus 1%, bringing shared ownership rent increases into line with the limit that normally applies to annual rent increases in other forms of social housing.

Older leases generally permit increases of up to Retail Prices Index plus 0.5%, reflecting the terms agreed when those leases were entered into.

Where it is considered to be in the claimant’s best interests, those who are vulnerable or who have accumulated arrears may have their rent payments sent direct to their landlords. Rent is a contractual agreement between a tenant and their landlord, which DWP is not party to. These administrative arrangements do not interfere with that contractual relationship and the tenant remains responsible for meeting their rental liabilities.

In general, there is no compensation available to landlords if errors or delays lead to arrears of rent as this would absolve them and the claimant of their responsibilities. The landlord remains responsible for pursuing any rent arrears in the normal way.

In cases of maladministration the Department may consider redress which may take the form of an apology, an explanation of what happened and what has been done to rectify matters or corrective action. In cases where an individual landlord is personally engaged in the management of their property(ies) and in the administration of their tenants’ rents and maladministration has caused an injustice or hardship, financial redress can be considered. Such payments are non-statutory and discretionary.

Such a mechanism is already in place. If a customer has a rent arrears of two months or more, for the accommodation they are currently occupying, a landlord may request a deduction from the customer’s Universal Credit.

The default position in Universal Credit is that claimants should manage their own finances, including payment of their rent. This encourages self-reliance and eases the transition back into work.

Where a claimant is vulnerable or if they get into arrears, rent payments may be sent direct to their landlord, on their behalf. Decisions related to direct payments of rent must be based upon the claimant’s best interests.

Tenants remain responsible for their rental liabilities, even where payment goes straight to their landlord.

My Department has worked closely with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) to ensure that the justice system is well prepared for the ongoing implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, including the potential impact of the Act on the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).

This work included ensuring that suitable arrangements are in place for monitoring data relating to rent increase challenges in the Residential Property Tribunal.

The MoJ publishes quarterly national statistics on possession claim actions in the County Court by private landlords. They can be found on gov.uk here and include data on the volume of claims, orders, warrants and possessions going through the system and average case timelines.

Data for residential property cases is published within Tribunals Statistics Quarterly on gov.uk here. This includes data on receipts, disposals, and open caseload.

The justice system will be supported with appropriate funding to ensure that the courts and tribunals have the resources and capacity they need to handle the workload that implementation of the Act will generate.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 87776 on 17 November 2025.

To improve value for money and the quality of support provided in supported housing, the government is introducing a council-led licensing scheme next year. We will shortly be consulting on draft regulations.

It is the responsibility of the local authority to assess Housing Benefit claims and determine the eligible rent and service charges that can be met through Housing Benefit. The rules around the scrutiny of claims, including claims from residents living in exempt accommodation, are set out in regulation and guidance.

The regulations for exempt accommodation allow local authorities to restrict the amount of Housing Benefit to the level of suitable alternative accommodation if they think the rent is considered unreasonably high or the accommodation is too large for the residents’ needs.

The Government works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority to consider the regulation of the mortgage market and is regularly in contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their business, including the use of rental payments for affordability assessments.

FCA rules already permit lenders to take rental payment history into account where appropriate. In their December 2025 Feedback Statement, the FCA highlighted several challenges and risks to using only past rental payments as a basis for affordability, but stressed they would support market-led innovation in the use of rental payment data.

The UK benefits from a competitive mortgage market and loans are currently available in the market which explicitly use a tenant’s rental history as part of the underwriting process. I encourage prospective buyers to speak to a mortgage broker to find the best possible product for their circumstances.

The Government published a response to the consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes on 21 January 2026. The government response is accompanied by the Department’s Impact Assessment which provides an estimated impact of the final policy and can be found on GOV.UK.

Rental prices are not determined by a single factor, and as outlined in the final impact assessment, wider market factors alongside this regulation may affect the rental prices of properties whether or not they are required to make upgrades under the MEES regulations. The government’s priority is to give landlords the regulatory certainty and advice they need to plan efficiency upgrades over the coming years, in consultation with tenants. More broadly, we are committed to protecting tenants’ rights by giving them the right to challenge unreasonable rent increases under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025

The Ministry of Justice has and continues to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) has the capacity to handle the number of rent appeals following commencement of the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May 2026.

Additional staff have been recruited and an existing HMCTS site has been expanded so that all new rent appeal cases can be administered nationally from a single centralised location to improve efficiency and operational processes.

We are maintaining investment in the annual recruitment of around 1,000 judges and tribunal members across all courts and tribunals, with specific recruitment ongoing for the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber.

To ensure long-term sustainability, we have concluded that there is a case for the use of a non-judicial alternative body or mechanism to make initial rent determinations, subject to completing a full viability assessment of this. We are working with partners across government to develop this rent determination function as quickly as possible.