A leading figure at Gateshead Council has urged action on rent controls as part of a broader push to combat poverty and protect vulnerable tenants. 

Councillor Catherine Donovan, cabinet member for children and young people, is advocating for rent caps to be included in lobbying efforts, citing their potential to curb exploitative practices in the private rental sector.

Her call aligns with the development of Gateshead’s new anti-poverty strategy and the rollout of regional funding aimed at reducing hardship across the North East. 

The urgency is underscored by recent data from the North East Combined Authority, which shows that nearly one in three children across Durham, Northumberland, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland are living in relative poverty once housing costs are taken into account.

During a recent council meeting, Councillor Catherine Donovan shared that a tenant in her ward was forced to take legal action against their landlord, who had reportedly increased the rent after the tenant raised concerns about damp conditions and a rat infestation.

The councillor had not finished with the other councillors and said: “All of that is hard but if you’re in a council house then that’s possibly easier but the effect of the insecurity of tenure in my opinion is one of the biggest challenges we face. People in a Tyneside flat in Bensham are paying about £800 a month and possibly more if you complain. 

“The government is bringing in some very welcome legislation about no vault evisceration but there are more ways to skin a cat. So you can’t get someone out with no fault evictions so you just put the rent up. So I think we should be lobbying for rent caps because I think that’s the only way to make a difference with that.” 

NECA’s child poverty reduction unit Amanda Bailey said: “We are doing a lot of work with our social housing providers, through the north east housing partnership. There is a reference in the plan around the Mayor lobbying for more powers and funding to take on rogue landlords, at the moment she does not have that power.”

Gateshead Council has recently strengthened its authority to address rogue landlords by broadening the scope of its landlord licensing scheme. Under the expanded rules, landlords operating in many parts of the borough must now obtain a permit before letting out private properties. These permits come with mandatory safety standards and routine inspections designed to ensure tenants are living in secure and well-maintained homes.