What do the Conservatives say about housing?

A significant part of the Conservatives’ housing policy during the last parliament was the creation of the the Renters (Reform) Bill. This initially proposed measures including scrapping section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, introducing new grounds for eviction for landlords who want to sell their properties or move back in, and making it illegal for landlords to refuse to rent homes to people who receive benefits or have children.

However, due to pushback from Tory backbenchers, some of the proposed changes were watered down, prompting criticism from housing campaigners. The bill never made it all the way through the Commons and has now been shelved following the dissolution of parliament. The Tories are pushing on with the bill, though, and the ban on no-fault evictions is present in the party’s 2024 manifesto, alongside a two-year tax break to allow landlords to sell to existing tenants.

Another Conservative-led housing measure that did become law just before the end of the last parliament, however, is the Leasehold and Freehold Act. This new legislation will make it cheaper and easier for more people to extend their leases, buy their freehold and take over management of their building. The Tories’ initial plans to scrap ground rent for existing leaseholders or cap it at £250 were dropped.

Unlike some other parties, the Tories don’t support rent freezes or controls to help people cope with housing costs. In the Tory manifesto, Sunak plans to get people onto the property planner with a resurrection of a “new and improved” help-to-buy scheme for first-time buyers. The party also plans to make the stamp duty threshold of £425,000 permanent for first-time buyers.

In 2021, the Conservative government also set itself a target to build 300,000 houses by the mid-2020s, but backtracked on this the following year (saying the targets were only “advisory”). In the 2024 manifesto, the Tories have set themselves the target of 1.6 million homes over the course of the next parliament, including 100,000 homes through abolishing EU environmental protections on nutrient neutrality rules.

What does Labour say about housing?

An independent report, commissioned by Labour and published earlier this month, gives some clues as to the rental policies that may appear in the party’s general election manifesto. The report put forward five main recommendations, including the creation of a National Landlords Register, banning of no-fault evictions, rent stabilisation measures such as four months’ notice of rental increases, and preventing landlords from moving into the holiday let sector.

It’s worth noting, however, that the party has already scrapped its previous pledge to bring in rent controls.

Starmer has also said he would reinstate the target of building 1.5 million homes over five years (the equivalent of 300,000 new homes per year), create the “next generation of new towns” and give first-time buyers “first dibs” on homes in new developments via a government-backed mortgage guarantee scheme – a pledge that appears in the Labour 2024 manifesto.

And the party has promised to build more social housing. “The next Labour Government will deliver the biggest boost to affordable, social and council housing for a generation, and get those social homes built, brick by brick,” said deputy leader Angela Rayner at the 2023 Labour conference. This pledge is also present in the party’s manifesto with promises to put in place stronger planning rules on affordable homes in development, prioritising social rented home builds and reviewing the right-to-buy scheme.

In addition, Labour has promised to reform the leasehold system – although the party recently dropped its commitment to abolish leasehold within its first 100 days in government. In its manifesto, Labour has said it would “bring the feudal leasehold system to an end”, which involves banning new leasehold flats and addressing ground rents and maintenance fees.

What do the Liberal Democrats say about housing?

In September 2023, the Lib Dems put forward their own plan for tackling the housing crisis. And the vast majority of this plan appears in the party’s 2024 manifesto, including a national target of 150,000 social homes a year by the end of the next parliament and a 10-year emergency programme to insulate Britain’s homes. The Lib Dems have also said they want to see new housing standards to ensure new homes are warm, cheap to heat and produce minimal emissions.

Other proposals include introducing a “fairer deal for renters which includes longer default tenancies, ensuring rent can only increase by a fair amount each year”; banning no-fault evictions; and aiming to build 10 new garden cities to help tackle the housing crisis. Leaseholds for residential properties would be banned while ground rents would be cut to a nominal fee. And local authorities would be given new powers to control and manage second homes and holiday lets.

The Lib Dems have also set out plans to end “rough sleeping within the next parliament and immediately scrapping the archaic Vagrancy Act”.

What do the Greens say about housing?

The Green party kicked off its local election campaign in May with a demand for more affordable homes, with many of these pledges also appearing in its national 2024 manifesto. The Greens have pledged to create 150,000 new council homes, introduce rent controls and end no-fault evictions as part of its proposed Right Homes, Right Place, Right Price Charter.

A key part of the Green Party’s housing strategy is “to improve affordability by stabilising house prices and rents so that there is no further real terms growth in housing costs.” Their housing policies, re-committed to in April this year, include introducing more secure tenancy agreements; abolishing any national or local tax breaks for buy-to-let investors and landlords that relate to mortgages; ensuring there are no incentives for owning multiple properties over one; and abolishing policies such as Help to Buy, which the party says pushes up property prices.

General election 2024: what is each party’s policy on housing?