London Mayoral elections in May

The EU referendum planned for the 23rd June is really taking the limelight at present what with David Cameron pushing for “remain” since his return  from Brussels In February, Boris Johnson putting his weight behind the “leave” campaign, the resignation of John Longworth Head of The British Chambers of Commerce following his fallout over “Brexit” and only just yesterday we had the “Eurosceptics” attack on Mark  Carney Governor of the Bank of England for his pro EU comments in the Brexit debate.

There is another important vote taking place before the EU refrendum and that is on the 5th May when Londoners will elect a new Mayor and the 25 members of the London Assembly.

Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon is putting forward some worthwhile policies which deal with some of the problems facing the large population of “private renters” in London.

Ms Pidgeon said in a recent report that she would encourage landlords to offer longer tenancies if elected,  she hoped this would provide renters with both stability and protection from rent hikes, looking to increase them from the present 6 months to up to 5 years.

The LibDem hopeful has also pledged to build 200,000 new homes to increase supply and “push down” rents, last month she outlined proposalsto give tenants first refusal on buying their home should the landlord decide to sell it during their tenancy.

In a recent visit to an affordable housing development site Ms Pidgeon was reported as saying: “By making sure rogue landlords are prosecuted, enforcing housing standards and promoting longer tenancies of 3 to 5 years to give tenants security we can make an real impact on improving the lives of people who choose to rent.”

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Before You Sign: 10 Things Home Movers Wish They Knew

Almost three quarters of home movers wish they knew more before making or accepting an offer as property professionals call for reform Almost three quarters (73%) of people who have recently bought or sold a home wish they had known more about the property or its location before making or accepting an offer, according to…
Read More →
Breaking News

Property expert warns homeowners to lock in amid mortgage rates uncertainty

With mortgage rates fluctuating and threatening to rise, homeowners hoping for cheaper borrowing in 2027 are being warned against delaying their mortgage plans if they’re anticipating lower rates According to Moneyfacts, the average five-year fixed mortgage rate has now reached 6% in October, the highest level in around three years, while the average two-year fixed…
Read More →
mycelium growth
Breaking News

Damp and mould online searches rise by 34%

The latest research from Inventory Base shows that search interest in damp and mould has increased by 34.2% in the latest two-month comparison, while searches for damp have risen by 29.1% and mould by 16.8%. The analysis of Google search interest trends* found that searches for “damp and mould” rose from an average search interest…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Nearly two-thirds of movers want homes that generate their own energy

Neary two-thirds of movers (63%) want their home to generate most or all of its own energy More than half, 53%, say recent energy-price rises have increased their interest in solar panels and home battery storage Just 8% would prefer to remain fully reliant on the grid Since 2022, mentions of heat pumps in newly…
Read More →
Breaking News

Renters’ Rights Act: A review of the first six months

Ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) coming into force on May 1st, there were many concerns across the industry. Landlords were probably most worried about the removal of section 21 and fixed-term tenancies, fearing it would be harder and take longer to remove troublesome tenants and regain possession of their properties. Widespread predictions were…
Read More →
Breaking News

Private rent and house prices, UK: October 2026

Average UK monthly private rent increased by 3.8%, to £1,406, in the 12 months to September 2026 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is unchanged from the 12 months to August 2026. Average rents increased to £1,466 (4.0%) in England, £848 (4.1%) in Wales, and £1,011 (0.7%) in Scotland, in the 12 months to September…
Read More →