Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, will use his address to party activists at the Green Party's conference in Brighton on Friday afternoon to unveil a proposal for a three-year "emergency brake" on private rent increases. The policy would cap rent rises at whichever is lowest among the consumer price index measure of inflation, wage growth, or 2% annually.
In framing housing as a generational fairness issue, Polanski intends to highlight how rental costs have forced people of different ages to remain dependent on their parents. He will point to 19-year-olds commuting to university, 25-year-olds unable to secure employment, and 35-year-olds moving back home with partners as examples of how the rental market has constrained life choices across generations.
The Green Party expects approximately 3,000 attendees at what it is billing as its largest conference ever, following a tripling of membership since Polanski's election as leader just over a year ago.
What would the rent brake achieve?
According to Polanski's planned remarks, the freeze would provide renters with "vital breathing space" while the government develops a national Fair Rents Guarantee to maintain affordable housing long-term. The proposal would also rule out evictions "under the guise of rent rises," according to reporting on his planned speech.
Polanski is expected to argue that landlords have exploited renters for too long, stating:
"For too long, landlords have been able to hike prices way beyond wages, leaving renters forced to meet the cost to keep a roof over their heads, cutting back and back and back on everything else."
How does this compare to current protections?
The government introduced the Renters' Rights Act earlier this year, which restricts landlords to raising rent only once annually at the property's open market rate. The legislation also converted tenancies from fixed-term to rolling arrangements and made tenant evictions more difficult for landlords. However, Polanski contends these measures do not sufficiently eliminate "fear and uncertainty" for millions of private renters across the UK.
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that average UK monthly private rents climbed by 3.5% to £1,377 in the 12 months to January 2026, demonstrating the ongoing pressure on renters despite the recent legislative changes.
What do economists say about rent controls?
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has cautioned that rent controls—a long-standing Green Party campaign priority—could produce "unintended consequences," including scenarios where demand outpaces supply in the rental market. Despite this warning, Rachel Millward, the party's co-deputy leader, has argued that most landlords are "super-earners" generating more income than other sectors and would be capable of absorbing a modest reduction in rental income.
Why is the timing controversial?
Polanski faces a scheduling conflict: he is standing as the Green candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, scheduled for 8 October 2026. The by-election was triggered by Sir Keir Starmer's departure from Parliament following his appointment as Prime Minister. Polanski had requested that the party's executive postpone the conference to allow the Greens to concentrate on the by-election campaign, but the executive voted against the postponement on Thursday.
Polanski has stated he intends to return "straight back" to the central London seat after delivering his leader's speech and has appealed to party activists to leave the conference over the weekend to assist with his campaign. A victory in this contest would represent the Greens' first parliamentary seat in the capital, though it would require overturning a substantial Labour majority from the 2024 general election.
How has Labour shifted its position?
Since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, Labour has altered its stance on several issues where the Greens had previously positioned themselves as the more progressive alternative. The party has now moved toward electoral reform—a long-standing Green demand for Westminster voting system overhaul—and has opened the possibility of a closer future relationship with the European Union.
Labour has also announced sanctions against Israeli West Bank settlements deemed illegal under international law and has reopened a refugee resettlement scheme. Polanski has claimed that electoral pressure from the Greens prompted these policy shifts, arguing that Labour now stands on "much more similar ground" to the Greens rhetorically.
What is the broader context for the Greens?
The Green Party conference follows significant electoral gains, including the party winning hundreds of councillors in England's local elections earlier this year and securing its fifth Member of Parliament, Hannah Spencer, through the Makerfield by-election. However, there are indications that the party's rise in national polling may have plateaued in recent months, and it must navigate questions about how to respond to Labour's repositioning under Burnham's leadership.
What happens next?
The Green Party conference is scheduled to run in Brighton from 2 to 4 October 2026, with the Holborn and St Pancras by-election following on 8 October. The conference agenda includes a motion titled "Zionism is racism," which Polanski has described as "unhelpful" and a "distraction" from the party's core messaging.
