Labour councillors in Manchester have urged the incoming government of Prime Minister Andy Burnham to grant the next Greater Manchester mayor devolved powers to introduce rent controls, proposing the city as a pilot for a national scheme that could reshape the rental market across the country.
The call comes amid growing concerns over stark inequality and affordability in Manchester's housing market. According to the Office for National Statistics, average private rents in Manchester reached £1,352 in May 2026, a 3.2% increase from the previous year. Some 20,000 households are on the city's social housing register, waiting for suitable accommodation.
Motion Passed in Council Chamber
The motion, debated and passed at Manchester City Council's full meeting on July 15, 2026, calls on the government to devolve powers to the new mayor to develop limits on rents in the private rented sector. Councillor Gavin White, the council's lead on housing, said: "We call on the government and new Prime Minister to give the new mayor of Greater Manchester devolved powers to look at rent caps and controls for the private rented sector, to address the issues of stark inequality and affordability."
Councillor Marcus Johns, representing Deansgate, added: "We are asking government to devolve powers to our new Greater Manchester mayor to develop limits on rents." The motion also suggests Manchester could serve as a pilot for a national scheme, with Councillor White stating: "We would welcome Manchester being a pilot for a national scheme to deliver this."
Rising Rents and Housing Crisis
Manchester's rental market has become increasingly unaffordable, particularly in affluent areas like Didsbury, where monthly rents can reach £1,500. Councillor Sam Lynch said during the debate: "Manchester knows better than most the scale of the housing crisis, too many families have been denied the security of a decent affordable home."
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), a poverty-focused charity, estimates that rent controls limiting rises to the lower of inflation or earnings could save the average renter in the North West £310 per year, or £450 across the UK. Darren Baxter, principal policy adviser at JRF, said: "Calls for rent controls recognise that renters have been squeezed by unaffordable rents that take up too high a proportion of their incomes for far too long. Trapped in a cycle of high rents, financial strain and no ability to save - renters are often just one redundancy or illness away from a crisis."
Support from Think Tanks
IPPR North, a think tank focused on the North of England, backed the calls, noting that 45% of private renters across the country are struggling. "This issue has been particularly bad in London, and now here in Manchester which has higher rents than the rest of the North West," the organisation said. IPPR has called for national rent controls as an emergency response to rising costs and global shocks, but added: "With the incoming PM's ambitions for further devolved powers to regions, we would want to see local leaders, like those in Manchester, have the power to tweak and tailor these rent controls to suit local need."
