Green Leader Proposes Three-Year Freeze on Private Rents as Party Conference Opens in Brighton

Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, will use his keynote address at the party's autumn conference to propose a three-year emergency cap on private rent increases, framing the housing crisis as a defining test of generational fairness. The speech, scheduled for Friday afternoon in Brighton, marks the opening of what the party describes as its largest-ever gathering, following a surge in membership that has tripled since Polanski took the helm just over a year ago.

According to advance briefings, Polanski will urge the government to legislate a ceiling on private rent rises set at whichever is lowest among three measures: the consumer price index, average wage growth, or a flat 2%. The mechanism, which the Greens describe as an "emergency brake," would remain in force for three years, after which ministers would be expected to introduce a permanent national Fair Rents Guarantee designed to keep rents affordable over the long term.

The Green leader is expected to argue that the current rental market has allowed landlords to push prices far beyond what tenants can reasonably afford, forcing millions to cut back on essentials simply to keep a roof over their heads. In his prepared remarks, he will say that renters have been left to absorb costs that outstrip their earnings, leaving them with little financial breathing room and mounting anxiety about their housing security.

Polanski's speech will also seek to personalise the crisis by invoking the experiences of different age groups. He is expected to describe 19-year-olds commuting long distances to university because they cannot afford to live near campus, 25-year-olds unable to take jobs in expensive cities, and 35-year-olds moving back in with their parents alongside their partners. These vignettes are intended to illustrate what the Greens call a broken intergenerational contract, in which younger adults are locked out of stable housing while older homeowners benefit from rising property values.

The proposal builds on existing legislation. Earlier this year, the government introduced the Renters' Rights Act, which restricts landlords to a single rent increase per year, capped at the property's open market rate. The Act also converted most tenancies to rolling agreements rather than fixed terms and made it more difficult for landlords to evict tenants without cause. According to the Office for National Statistics, average monthly private rents across the UK rose by 3.5% in the twelve months to January 2026, reaching £1,377.

Despite these reforms, Polanski is expected to argue that the Renters' Rights Act does not go far enough. He will contend that the legislation has failed to eliminate the fear and uncertainty that millions of private renters experience, particularly when faced with the prospect of unpredictable rent hikes or the threat of losing their homes. For the Green leader, the emergency brake represents a necessary intervention to stabilise the market while a more permanent system is designed.

The Green Party's push for rent controls is not without controversy. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has previously cautioned that such measures can produce unintended consequences, including demand outstripping supply in the rental market. Critics argue that capping rents may discourage landlords from maintaining or expanding their properties, potentially worsening the very shortage that drives prices up. The Greens, however, counter that the current system is already failing renters and that urgent action is needed to prevent further deterioration.

Beyond housing, Polanski's speech will also touch on the broader political landscape. He is expected to claim that electoral pressure from the Greens has pushed the Labour Party to change direction on several key issues. Since Andy Burnham became prime minister, Labour has shifted its stance on electoral reform, a cause the Greens have long championed, and has signalled openness to a much closer relationship with the European Union. Labour has also announced sanctions on Israeli West Bank settlements deemed illegal under international law and reopened a scheme to resettle refugees.

In an interview ahead of the conference, Green co-deputy leader Rachel Millward acknowledged that Labour was now "rhetorically, on a much more similar ground" to her party. Polanski, however, has claimed credit for these shifts, arguing that they are a direct result of the electoral pressure his party has applied. The conference thus serves as both a policy launchpad and a platform for the Greens to position themselves as a driving force in British politics, even as they grapple with questions about how to respond to Labour's evolving agenda.

The timing of the conference presents a logistical challenge for Polanski, who is simultaneously campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. The contest, triggered by former Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's decision to leave Parliament, offers the Greens a chance to win their first seat in the capital. Victory would require overturning a substantial Labour majority from the 2024 general election, a tall order but one that the party believes is within reach given its recent momentum.

Polanski has said he intends to return to the central London constituency immediately after delivering his leader's speech, and he has encouraged party activists to leave the conference over the weekend to assist with canvassing. The by-election is widely seen as a test of the Greens' ability to convert national polling strength into parliamentary seats, particularly in urban areas where renters make up a significant share of the electorate.

The Brighton conference follows a year of notable electoral successes for the Greens, including gains of hundreds of council seats in England's local elections and the election of a fifth MP, Hannah Spencer, in the Makerfield by-election. Yet there are signs that the party's rise in national polls may have stalled in recent months, and internal debates over strategy and messaging continue to simmer beneath the surface.

As delegates gather in Brighton, the spotlight will be on Polanski's ability to articulate a coherent alternative to both Labour and the Conservatives. His rent cap proposal is likely to dominate headlines, but the broader challenge remains: translating popular discontent with the housing market into a durable political movement capable of effecting change. For now, the Green leader appears determined to make housing the centrepiece of that effort, betting that generational fairness will resonate with voters who feel locked out of the property market and exhausted by rising costs.