Andy Burnham has been urged to introduce a triple lock for renters, which would restrict rent rises to the lowest of RPI inflation, wage growth, or 6 per cent. The proposal comes from Compass, a pressure group backed by his ally Neal Lawson, which has called on the Labour government to adopt the measure to equalise wealth between generations.
Compass launches '100 Ideas for 100 Days'
Compass said: "We have been vocal about our demands, and have listened to your feedback about the need to embrace the optimism of this moment, without getting complacent. Last month, we called on Compass Members and our friends in the civil society space to combine and suggest a whole range of policies and ideas that this Government should undertake quickly to drag Britain out of the difficult political situation it finds itself in. Today, we're excited to launch '100 Ideas for 100 Days'. Ideas are from Compass Members unless otherwise stated."
The renters triple lock mirrors the state pension triple lock, which guarantees increases in Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) payments, a policy that has proved controversial. Compass argues that a similar mechanism for renters would help address the growing wealth gap between generations.
Previous government's renter protections
Under the previous government, Sir Keir Starmer introduced new protections for renters, including stronger safeguards for domestic abuse survivors and reforms to Right to Buy. Around 15,000 households in England were forced to find a new social home due to domestic abuse last year, and the Bill closes loopholes in joint tenancy arrangements.
Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs welcomed the reforms as overdue and vital, while Housing Secretary Steve Reed described the current situation as a "moral failure." The Bill also includes wider Right to Buy reforms, extending the qualifying period from three to ten years and protecting new social homes from sale for 35 years.
Starmer, championing the changes, said families have been "left in limbo on waiting lists for years" and reaffirmed the government's commitment to the biggest increase in social and affordable homes for a generation. The Bill allows landlords and courts to evict perpetrators without requiring victims to leave, and prevents abusers from using "notice to quit" powers to end tenancies.
Government response and next steps
At the time, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: "Victims of domestic abuse have faced an impossible choice – stay in danger or make themselves homeless. This is a moral failure this government is determined to end and these changes are deeds not words that put victims first, give landlords the powers they need, and make sure perpetrators can no longer use housing as a weapon of control."
He added: "But protecting tenants is only half the picture. We also need more social homes – and this Bill tackles the decades of sell-off that has left over a million families on waiting lists with nowhere to turn. Together, these reforms will make social housing safer, fairer and built to last."
Compass's proposal for a renters triple lock is part of a broader set of policy ideas aimed at the new government, with the group urging swift action to address housing inequality and other pressing issues.
