Andy Burnham, Bev Craig, and the Good Landlord Charter
- Good Landlord Charter
- 12 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Former Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, first committed to establishing the Charter as part of a 2021 mayoral commitment. During that time, the Charter went through a consultation phase, commissioned The Dispute Service to independently implement it, and was officially launched in June 2025.
Following on from the framework of the Good Employment Charter, the Good Landlord Charter’s ambitions are to raise rental standards in Greater Manchester, providing confidence for tenants and support for landlords.
Since its initial inception, both Greater Manchester and the housing sector have changed. Andy Burnham has won the leadership race, becoming Prime Minister and has been succeeded as mayor by Bev Craig. So, what does this mean for housing on the national and local stage?
What can we learn about Andy Burnham’s national policies from the Good Landlord Charter?
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to end rough sleeping, mirroring his work as mayor, announcing additional spending to support people rough sleeping across England over the next five years.
“Investing in people’s success rather than paying for failure”
The Good Landlord Charter seeks to take preventative action to reduce homelessness. Landlords who join the Good Landlord Charter as Members commit to referring tenants to their local authority when they’re at risk of being made homeless. Combined with additional commitments to signpost to relevant support and advice, give a fair amount of time to tenants who struggle to pay their rent, and not use mandatory rent arrears ground (social landlords only).
New homes and devolved powers for local government
Andy Burnham has argued that the shortage of genuinely affordable homes is one of the biggest drivers of housing insecurity and rising homelessness. He has called for what he describes as “the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period”, linking the loss of around 1.5 million council homes since the 1980s to growing social housing waiting lists and increasing pressure on private renters.
Burnham has advocated giving councils greater control over housing investment and development, arguing that local authorities should once again play a leading role in delivering homes for social rent. The Government haven’t yet released further details on how they plan to deliver this, but it is likely to be explained after the current summer recess.
Andy Burnham has announced he will give all mayors of city regions in England a share of income tax revenue for the first time, as part of his drive to transfer power from Westminster to local leaders. He will also allow English strategic authorities to keep some cash from business rates collected in their areas, and gain greater control over services such as housing, transport, and skills.
The Government has said that “over time, local areas will move away from dependence on Whitehall grants and towards funding that rewards local growth. The ambition is to extend the benefits of devolution across the whole UK, working with devolved governments and local leaders to give communities more control over their future.”
The conversation about rent controls
The arrival of Andy Burnham as Prime Minister immediately reignited debate about the future of housing policy. Secretary of State for Housing Angela Rayner has continued to rule out rent controls, pointing to mixed evidence from Scotland and arguing that caps alone do not necessarily bring rents down.
Under the Good Landlord Charter, there are no requirements or criteria for rent caps. The Charter requires Member landlords to have a clear and fair rent review and setting process and give a fair amount of time to tenants who struggle to pay their rent.
Member landlords in the private rented sector must provide tenants with a written rent policy statement that demonstrates:
Rationale for rent price
An assumption that in-tenancy increases will be kept below CPI + 1% unless reasonably justifiable
Three months' written notice to tenants for rent increases
Advice for tenants on how to challenge rent increases at the First-Tier Tribunal
Social housing tenants are provided with a breakdown of service charges, early notice of annual rent increases, and are able to access financial inclusion support.
Bev Craig’s future for Greater Manchester and the role of the Good Landlord Charter
Andy Burnham has been succeeded by Bev Craig as the new Labour mayor of Greater Manchester.
Housing has been a focus of Craig’s time as leader of Manchester City Council, with a focus on building affordable and social housing.
The Good Landlord Charter working with Manchester City Council
The Charter has worked closely with Manchester City Council (MCC) during Craig’s time as leader of the Council. Manchester City Council were initially involved during the consultation period to establish the Charter. They later joined the Charter’s Governing Board to continue providing advisory input on the direction for raising rental standards.
Manchester City Council have also registered as a Supporter landlord. Since the launch, MCC have had an extra active role in collaborating with the Charter, hosting webinars with Cllr White.
Bev Craig’s manifesto for Greater Manchester
Looking to the future, we can gain insight into Mayor Craig’s ambitions for tackling housing in Greater Manchester. Craig’s manifesto has housing as one of five priorities for her time as Mayor.
Just a few of the goals of the new Mayor include building new affordable homes, introducing a Renters Rights Unit and a special commission on affordable rents and strengthening the Good Landlord Charter.
In her campaign to be elected, Craig talked about the connection between the Good Landlord Charter and the Good Growth Fund. This is demonstrated through the already existing partnership between the Charter and the Warm Homes: Local Grant. Eligible landlords must become Supporters of the Good Landlord Charter to access up to £30,000 in retrofit funding for their properties. The Good Landlord Charter continually works with partners to expand what’s available for landlords and tenants.
What’s next for the Good Landlord Charter?
Landlords
The Charter continues to work with landlords to raise rental standards, with the first cohort of full Members expected soon. These landlords will have demonstrated their commitments to the Charter’s Membership criteria and will be actively making a difference in Greater Manchester.
Letting agents
The Good Landlord Charter also works with letting agents across the city-region. Letting agents are invited to join as Champions of the Charter. This is a declaration from a letting agent that they support the aims of the Charter and work to promote Membership with their landlords.
Wider housing sector
For organisations that work in housing, homelessness, landlord supply chain, and more, we offer the role of Friend of the Charter. Becoming a Friend of the Charter provides an opportunity to work collaboratively to deliver better rental standards in Greater Manchester. Recent collaborations with our Friends include the development of webinars, blogs, guest speaking opportunities, and EDI training for Supporters.
Join the Good Landlord Charter today to lead the way in raising rental standards.
