Over recent months, party conferences have set out their housing plans. At the same time, some government ministers have reportedly fallen foul of property and letting laws.
So, do any parties’ housing reform plans actually help solve the housing crisis, and, from a landlord’s perspective, will they help you let homes legally and safely at a risk level you can afford?
Summary of the latest parties’ housing policies
Property is high on most parties’ agendas in 2025, and rightly so. We are facing one of the worst housing crises in decades, with little sign of rapid improvement.
In England alone:
Around 1.4 million households are eligible for a social home and remain on housing waiting lists—many likely housed, at least in part, by private landlords.
Latest government figures show:
- 132,410 households are homeless and in temporary accommodation (+8% year on year)
- 172,420 children are homeless and living in temporary accommodation
- 32% of affected households are placed outside their original local area
New supply and planning
London has been hit hard, with more than a third of boroughs recording zero housebuilding starts in Q1 2025. Across England, the House Builders Federation reports: “The number of new home building sites given planning approval in England during Q1 2025 was the lowest since reporting began some 20 years ago.”
What are the parties proposing?
Green Party – Housing & Renting Reform
- Build 150,000 new social homes annually; end ‘right to buy’ to protect long‑term community ownership
- Empower councils to introduce rent controls and bring empty homes back into use
- End Section 21 ‘no‑fault’ evictions
- Launch Private Residential Tenancy Boards for fast, low‑cost dispute resolution
- Allow tenants to insist landlords access green finance for improvements
- Give local authorities and community groups first refusal on certain property sales
Launch a Fairer, Greener Homes Guarantee for well-insulated, safe homes with financial investment to insulate homes to EPC rating B (current proposals are to C) and require all new homes to meet Passivhaus or equivalent; solar panels and low-carbon tech are mandatory.
Reform UK – Housing recommendations
In contrast to the Greens, Reform UK proposes to:
- Increase homeownership by boosting housebuilding and cutting immigration
- Fast‑track brownfield development with tax incentives
- Prioritise local residents and UK taxpayers for social housing; place foreign nationals at the back of the queue
Support landlords by:
- Reversing Section 24 and restoring mortgage interest tax relief
- Abolishing the Renters’ (Rights) Bill and improving enforcement and appeal systems for tenant grievances
- Improve leasehold: transparent fees and terms; simplify and reduce costs to extend leases to 990 years and to buy freeholds
Conservatives – Conference headlines
- Abolish Stamp Duty Land Tax on primary homes
- Support first‑time buyers with a £5,000 tax rebate in their first job to help fund a deposit
- Prioritise brownfield development Propose £4bn housing cuts from 2029–30 by reserving social housing and benefits for UK nationals.
- Criticise the Renters’ Rights Bill, warning it could reduce rental supply
However, as Labour are likely to stay in power until 2029, it’s unlikely many of these policies will come to fruition unless Labour support them.
Labour – Current direction of travel
- Reiterated their ambition to build 1.5 million homes by 2029, although many consider this target increasingly difficult
- Reported to have approved 21 major infrastructure projects in their first year—more than achieved in any single prior year of a Parliament
- Published a list of 12 potential new towns from Cheshire to East Devon, Leeds and Greenwich, aiming for 40% affordable homes in each.
Other Labour policies:
- A Planning and Infrastructure Bill to streamline planning, enable development corporations to use compulsory purchase orders, and grant planning permissions.
The final policy commitment was the introduction of the Renters Rights Act, which has now been passed. Phase 1 will come into effect on 1 May 2026, bringing a range of tenancy reforms. This phased approach allows tenants, landlords, and agents time to fully understand and prepare for the new rules. One earlier change will take effect on 27 December 2025, ahead of the main rollout. Subsequent phases are expected to follow much later, with further details to be announced in due course. Clearly Reform and the Conservatives have the boldest and most useful policies for landlords. However, they are not likely to be in government anytime soon.
Worried about the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act on your let property?
If you are using Reeds Rains Fully Managed Service, then you can rely on us to guide you through the changes and prepare all documentation – and any evidence – as required. If you do not rely on us to manage your property fully, there is time between now and 1st May to have a conversation with your local branch about whether there is additional help you will need on-going, to prepare for, navigate and, most importantly, administer these changes.
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