On top of student landlords having to deal with the implementation of the Renters' Rights Act this month, comes news that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is weighing a one-year rent freeze for England's PRS.
The Guardian reports that the move would be part of a wider cost of living package to tackle the impact of the Iran war on household budgets.
The rent freeze would be in place for one year and is a big shift from the government's position of rent controls and the Act, where rent controls were excluded.
Among critics of the plan is Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), who said: "Introducing a rent freeze would be a disaster for landlord and investor confidence and consequently the supply of homes in England.
"Any hope of growing the market or even retaining the homes that millions of families rely on, would be lost."
Making rents affordable
He continued: "There is no evidence to suggest that it would make rents more affordable.
"In fact, the impact on supply would inevitably drive new rents still higher.
"Such a move would run completely counter to good economic sense and the government's own prior decision to rule out such measures."
Mr Beadle added: "At a time when demand for rental housing continues to significantly outweigh supply, we agree with the Housing Minister's view that any form of rent controls would make life more difficult for renters."
Landlord rent rises
However, fresh data shows landlords are already looking at raising rents ahead of the Act and a rent freeze would scupper those plans.
The research from Pegasus Insight highlights that 61% of landlords plan to increase rents in the next 12 months.
And 75% of those doing so point to the Renters' Rights Act for doing so.
The firm's founder, Mark Long, said: "A rent freeze would represent unprecedented intervention in the private sector, 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."
Rent controls don't work
Trade body Propertymark has also raised concerns about the timing and its head of policy and campaigns, Timothy Douglas, said: "With the UK government introducing huge regulatory change through the 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.
"Evidence from across the UK, particularly in Scotland, shows rent controls restrict supply, deter investment and reduce choice for tenants."
He added: "Singling out landlords to solve the cost of living is not the answer.
"Rent controls risk distorting the market and undermining investment at a time when demand already far outstrips supply."
'Kite flying' is unhelpful
Other private rented sector figures also point to rental home supply constraints and investment signals.
Olivia Harris, the chief executive of housing, Dolphin Living, said: "Any proposals to introduce a one-year rent freeze within the private rented sector risk addressing only the symptoms, rather than the root cause, of the housing cost-of-living crisis.
"The fundamental issue remains that there is a severe shortage of rental homes across the UK which is limiting consumer choice and keeping rents high."
Goodlord's managing director of insurance, Oli Sherlock, said: "Floating the idea of a blanket rent freeze on top of the Renters' Rights Act feels like policy duplication at best, and outright confusion at worst.
"At a time when landlords, agents and tenants are trying to prepare for the biggest legislative shift in decades, this kind of political 'kite flying' is deeply unhelpful.”
Student landlord rent issues
The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon Thompson, said: "Student landlords set rents around the academic cycle, often months in advance, so a rent freeze risks cutting across how the market actually operates.
"If landlords cannot adjust rents between cohorts, many will struggle to absorb rising mortgage, compliance and maintenance costs.
"That removes a key pressure valve at exactly the point the Renters' Rights Act is already reshaping tenancy structures."
He added: "Some will inevitably look to exit, reduce exposure or rethink how they use their properties.
"The timing is critical, because layering a freeze on top of these reforms risks disrupting supply just as landlords are planning for the next intake."
