Two activist groups are demanding the government “slam the brakes on soaring rents”.
On the day that Sir Kier Starmer gave a make-or-break speech following Labour’s humiliation in recent local elections, the activists have declared ‘Cost Of Rent Day’.
Generation Rent and the Renters’ Reform Coalition claim this is the day at which, on average, all of a renter’s income to that point of the year is sent to their landlord.
The groups claim this date by correlating the average percentage of income renters spend on rent with the same proportion of the calendar year.
They say that across the whole of 2026, the average renter will send their landlord all their gross earnings from 1st January to 11th May, over four months of their pay or benefits.
And the groups claim in some cities, like London and Bristol, this notional ‘Cost of Rent Day’ falls in June because rents are higher.
The Guardian recently reported that Chancellor Rachel Reeves was considering implementing a rent freeze but the government has since dismissed the idea.
Ben Twomey, the outgoing chief executive of Generation Rent, says: “When we are forced to spend too much of our income on rent, it means children are going to school hungry or older renters who can’t afford to turn the heating on. High rents trap people in homelessness and suck money out of local communities.
“It’s not right that over four months of our income every year is being swallowed up by landlords.
“While it was encouraging to see the government recognise this through its recent consideration of a rent freeze, we need to see longer-term action.
“Renters in some of our biggest cities are facing the most back breaking costs. The government must urgently give metro mayors the power to slam the brakes on soaring rents through limiting rent increases.”
And Clara Collingwood, director at the Renters’ Reform Coalition, adds: “The fact that the average renter in England works for over a third of the year just to put money in their landlord’s pockets shows just how unsustainable the cost of renting has become.
“Skyrocketing rents are pushing renters into poverty – our research has found nearly a third of tenants struggle to afford essentials due to the cost of rent.
“And while section 21 evictions have finally been banned in England, for many renters unaffordable rent increases will have exactly the same effect, forcing people out of their homes and communities.
“The government need [sic] to take real action to make renting more affordable and get a grip on out-of-control rents – relying on housebuilding alone won’t get the job done.”
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This article is taken from Landlord Today