Greens! Socialists! Renters!
We have a chance to lead a movement, and truly start to tackle the Housing Crisis. But to do so, we need to speak to people’s material concerns.
The Housing Crisis is one of affordability, and the crisis of affordability has been driven by one thing more than any other mass private landlordism, while we have stopped building council housing, we’ve allowed housing to become the go to vehicle of wealth extraction, moving wealth from the many renters, to the few in the landlord class.
You can help lead the charge by supporting this motion to Green Party Autumn Conference 2025, and make our party the voice for Renters.
how can I help?
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To get Abolish Landlords on the Agenda, we need as many Co-Proposals as possible!
Green Members can follow this Link to the Conference Platform, and Co-Propose the motion.
Co-proposals can be submitted between the 25th - 31st July.
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Getting on the Agenda is one thing, getting it heard at Plenary is another, to do that we need to be at the top of the agenda.
To do this, we need you to rank the motion #1 in the prioritisation ballot!
The ballot will be sent directly to your email on the 14th of August, so keep an eye out!
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The best thing you can do is tell your Green Friends!
The more people we have supporting the motion, the more likely it will be heard, so share this page, tell your friends to Co-Propose the motion, rank it #1 in the Prioritisation Ballot!
Only together can we do this!
The motion
Abolish Landlords
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The Private Rental Sector has failed, it is a vehicle for wealth extraction, funnelling money from Renters to the Landlord Class.
This motion makes it clear Green Party policy is to seek the effective abolition of Private Landlordism and our support for building Council Housing.
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Insert into Record of Policy Statements;
The Green Party believes that secure, affordable Housing is a Human Right, and that a core goal for a Green Government and Green MPs is to create a fairer housing market.
The Green Party believes the existence of Private Landlords adds no positive value to the economy or society, that the relationship between Landlord and Tenant is inherently and intrinsically extractive and exploitative. That the Private Rental Sector exists to transfer wealth from the working classes to Landlords.
The Green Party believes that the Private Sector has fundamentally failed, and is continuing to fail to provide secure and affordable housing fit for working people.
The Green Party believes that the Housing Crisis is a crisis created by the mass expansion of Private Landlordism, started in the 1980s by Margaret Thatcher.
The Green Party believes that the decommodification of Housing, and that the effective abolition of Private Landlordism and the Private Rented sector, coupled with the mass expansion of Council Housing is the only way to end the Housing Crisis.
The Green Party would use policies like a Land Value Tax, Rent Controls, Ending Right-to-Buy and Buy-to-Let and giving Councils the powers to borrow, to fund a new Golden Age of Council Housing.
To further this, the Green Party would establish a State Owned Housing Manufacturer, that would mass produce high quality, affordable Council Housing for Local Authorities, providing skilled jobs and training around the country. That company would also focus on innovating on housing design and manufacture, without the need to produce private profits.
The Green Party’s Five Step Plan to Abolish Landlords;
Introduce Rent Controls and Abolish Right to Buy. (HO401, HO503)
Tax the Landlords - move towards a Land Value Tax levied on Owners, not Tenants. No Exceptions. Business Rates on AirBnBs/Short Lets. No Exceptions. Double taxation for empty properties. Put National Insurance on Private Rents. (HO401, EC780-2)
Remove finance for Landlords - end Buy to Let mortgages. (HO521)
Provide finance to Councils. Councils should be given the Right to Buy when Landlords sell, or property that hasn’t been insulated to EPC rating C or fails to meet the decent homes standard, or any property that is left empty for more than six months, with the total current tenancy discounted, tenants moved to a truly affordable Council tenancy. Government must change prudential borrowing requirements to allow Councils to buy back and build new housing on a massive scale. (2024 Manifesto Pg9)
Establish a State owned Housing Manufacturer, to mass produce high quality mass Council Housing for Local Authorities, and to innovate on housing design and manufacture.
Insert into PfSS;
HO204 - To minimise the number of private landlords in the Housing Market and regain public ownership of the housing lost to the Right to Buy scheme.