A Labour council will be voting for the introduction of rent controls for PRS landlords this week in spite of lacking the powers to carry out such a decision.

Bristol council is also expected to back other measures affecting the private rental sector which include a rogue landlord database and considering ways to stop ‘bidding wars’ between prospective tenants for rented homes.

The proposed measures are courtesy of a body called the Living Rent Commission, which provides reports to the council and is an independent body made up of councillors from all parties and tenant representatives.

Green councillor Tom Hathway, who is backing the measures with Labour members, speaking to a Bristol online news service, said: “The national shift from social housing to private rented over the last 40 years has seen houses turned from homes into investment vehicles. Deregulation has left tenants with little protection, and with the economic chaos the government have unleashed, already over-inflated rents in Bristol are shooting up further and pushing people into poverty.

“This joint motion [for rent controls and other measures] builds on the ongoing work of the council’s Living Rent Commission and includes actions we can take today to engage and protect Bristol’s 130,000-plus renters, whilst we wait for the government to catch up and devolve the rent control powers we urgently need.”

Tom Renhard, Labour’s cabinet member for housing on Bristol council, told the news service: “This motion allows the council to put its full weight behind getting rent controls introduced in Bristol. The current government’s reluctant to allow us to trial them, but with Labour pledging to devolve significant powers to local government, this gives us a clear path to getting them introduced.

“In the more immediate term, this motion pledges our support for expanding landlord licensing city-wide, builds on our work tackling unscrupulous landlords, assist efforts to end ‘bidding wars’, and will see the council officially oppose the previously proposed expansion of right-to-buy to Housing Associations – and instead put suggestions to government for ways to increase home ownership without depleting social housing stock.

“Alongside our work expanding the supply of housing, with 2,563 homes built last year alone, including the most affordable homes for 12 years, these policies are sorely needed to tackle Bristol’s housing crisis.”

Last week Labour’s leader Keir Starmer said when in power he would set out a ‘revolutionary’ programme of devolution of city and council authorities, this could by default see the introduction of rent controls across the country.

The new powers for local authorities (which could be mentioned one day in the King’s Speech under a Labour government) giving them full control over employment assistance, energy, climate change, transport, housing, culture and childcare provision within their boundaries.