Bristol City Council has voted in favour of lobbying the government for permission to introduce rent controls in the city.
The council proposed the call for extra powers after calculating that the cost of renting in Bristol had risen by more than 50% in the past decade.
The motion was brought by Labour’s cabinet member for housing Tom Renhard and seconded by the Green Party. It was passed with 39 votes for, nine against and two abstaining.
Other measures proposed for private sector housing reform in the city include serving improvement notices on homes with severe hazards to prevent landlords from serving section 21 notices and enabling rent repayment orders if the landlord fails to comply.
The motion also said council officers should seek to serve more improvement notices for excess cold in homes that fail Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, and help private renters claim back rent through rent repayment orders when they are eligible to do so.
The council also wants to enforce the ban on letting agent fees by issuing fines to letting agents that break the rules as well as prevent “bidding wars” in the sector.
Last year, Bristol set up its Living Rent Commission, made up of representatives from across the housing sector – including renters – to explore issues faced by tenants as well as options to tackle the rent crisis.
The commission is expected to report its findings early this year, which will also be considered in Bristol’s resolution for rent control.
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