Clapham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a Labour left-winger, is advocating for new controls on landlords beyond those in the Renters’ Rights Bill. She proposes a “protected period from eviction after a government grant is used to retrofit a privately rented property.” This measure has garnered support from former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and suspended Labour MP Rachael Maskell.

Writing on LabourList, Ribeiro-Addy highlights polling from Generation Rent indicating that many tenants are unaware of the First-Tier Tribunal system for challenging rent hikes, and few would likely challenge an increase. She argues this problem is worsened when landlords receive government grants for energy efficiency improvements, means-tested based on tenants’ lower incomes.  She cites an example where a family faced eviction after their landlord significantly increased rent by £500 a month following grant-funded upgrades.

Ribeiro-Addy asserts that the success of such policies cannot rely on landlord goodwill or an inaccessible redress system. She has tabled a Commons motion, backed by 13 other MPs, linking this issue to securing votes from private renters, who were a key Labour demographic in 2024. Polling suggests significant support for government policies that protect renters from rent increases, especially when improvements are made.

This is the wording of her Commons Early Day Motion: “That this House recognises that nearly four million private renters regularly struggle to pay their energy bills, with private renters more likely to experience fuel poverty than any other tenure type and poorly insulated homes costing tenants on average £570 per year, while energy use in UK homes causing an estimated 40% of carbon emissions; believes the Government’s ambition of uprating all private rented homes to EPC C or above by 2030 is welcome; but warns that renters will not be sufficiently protected from rent hikes or evictions as a result of their home increasing in value following energy efficiency improvements; further believes the Renters’ Rights Bill is a positive first step in addressing the power imbalance between tenants and landlords, but does not offer sufficient protections for renters in the case of retrofitting; is concerned that, without further protections, renters, particularly those on low incomes, will not enjoy the benefits of a warmer home and lower bills; and believes the Government should protect renters from rent increases through classifying grants as an improvement contributed by the tenant, not the landlord, at the First-tier Tribunal rent assessment process and protect renters from eviction through introducing a protected period from eviction after a government grant is used to retrofit a privately rented property.“