The One City Bristol Living Rent Commission

*Please be aware that the Bristol Rent Control Survey is currently live and will be closing on the 29th December 2022.* You can access it via the link to share your views on rent controls in Bristol.

Following the commitment in the Mayor’s 2021 manifesto promise to make Bristol a “A Living Rents City: Campaign for the power to introduce rent controls to make Bristol an affordable living city”. Bristol City Council and the City Office have formed a One City Living Rent Commission to explore what could make Bristol an affordable living rent city and what powers we could be asking to be delegated from UK Government to enable us to achieve this.

The Commission will be co-chaired by Cllr Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes, Bristol City Council, and Professor Alex Marsh, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol. It will seek to bring together analytical data, expertise, input and lived experience testimony from a number of key city partners and representative groups, through multiple evidence sessions held over the summer. A summary of the work, together with recommendations to the Council on the measures that could have a positive impact, will be drafted in a report by University of Bristol researchers to inform the Council’s response to the Renters’ Reform Bill which is due to be debated in Parliament shortly. The Government’s draft bill, ‘The fairer private rented sector white paper’ was published on 16th June.

The goals and objectives of the commission will be to:

  • Explore how to improve affordability of the Bristol PRS market
  • Understanding what introducing rent stabilisation would do the PRS market in the city, including potential impact on housing quality and maintenance and making recommendations about which rent controls would be deliverable and have best impact
  • What other powers that would improve experience of renting in Bristol, i.e. Landlords’ database
  • How could we empower tenants’ rights (information, transparency, complaints c.f. social housing tenants’ rights) to improve affordability and quality

The commission is formed of sector experts, tenants, landlords and academics who will further investigate the issues identified, hear testimony from other organisations, groups, and individuals with lived experience, and will make recommendations that will inform what we advocate to government.

Please see the Membership List below:

  • Fair Renting Campaign
  • Generation Rent
  • ARLA
  • ALL Wessex
  • Shelter
  • Bristol Older People’s Forum
  • Ashley Community Housing
  • Black South West Network
  • UWE Student’s Union
  • UOB Student’s Union
  • We Can Make
  • Trowers and Hamlins
  • Brighter Places