Today Carla Denyer, MP for Bristol Central, launches a survey to hear from her constituents on their experience of the sky-high rents in the city.
The latest available data shows Bristol to be the least affordable place to privately rent in England, with rent taking up, on average, 45% of salaries, compared to 42% for Greater London.
This short survey aims to find out how these prices impact people’s daily lives and financial situations.
Carla plans to use the information gathered in this survey to make the case for substantial government intervention to help struggling renters.
Carla has campaigned for action on the housing crisis since she was elected as an MP in 2024, and long before that as a Bristol City Councillor.
In Parliament, she pressed the Government to make their Renters’ Rights Bill more ambitious – advocating for stricter rules on security of tenure, energy efficiency and rent affordability.
Although her amendment to include rent control powers in the bill was not incorporated into the final legislation, Carla has continued to urge the government to take action to protect renters and to give Bristol Council more power over rental prices in the area.
Carla said:
“It is devastating to hear how many people in Bristol are still struggling to pay bills and put food on the table because of rip-off private rents, despite some new protections in the Renters’ Rights Act.
“That’s why I’ve launched this survey, to inform the work I’m doing in Parliament to tackle the housing crisis, demanding that the government take further action.
“The new Prime Minister campaigned for rent controls as Mayor of Greater Manchester. But now he is in power, his government is refusing to act.
“I urge all Bristol Central residents who rent privately and have 5 minutes to spare to head to my website and fill out this survey; the more information we can gather, the stronger the case I can make for urgent action to end extortionate rents.”
The survey is open until Friday 16 October.
Comments? We want to hear them. Please write to editor@westenglandbylines.co.uk
Bylines Network & No One Above
Where is justice? Survivors voices in parliament
NOA and Bylines Network are collaborating to make sure those voices are heard by the decision-makers who can remove the roadblocks to justice and address systemic failures of accountability.
Your support will allow us to put Gazettes in the hands of all MPs and make the campaign visible around parliament.
