Government’s ‘fairer deal for renters’ won’t address high rents, housing minister says

Felicity Buchan says affordability of rented housing is ‘separate issue’ from fairness

Felicity Buchan, the government’s housing minister (Felicity Buchan, the government’s housing minister)

The government's plan for a "fairer deal" for private renters will not address soaring rents, the housing minister has said.

Appearing at the Commons communities committee Tory MP Felicity Buchan said she believed rent rises could only be controlled by building more homes in the longer term.

Last month it was reported that landlords had raised rents to record highs, with a 20 per cent rise in some areas according to listings data.