Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election has made it increasingly likely that a Labour Party leadership challenge will shortly be launched, and that Burnham will become the 59th UK Prime Minister.
With this likely outcome, it is worth reviewing Burnham’s past statements and policies on all things housing-related, and speculating what change a new administration may bring.
As Greater Manchester’s Mayor since 2017, Burnham has taken several significant steps which provide an insight into his positions. While in office he has introduced a Good Landlord Charter to drive up standards in rented accommodation and employed 10 specially recruited enforcement staff to tackle poor quality private rental housing and to take action against landlords who do not maintain their properties appropriately. This push has resulted in a 43% rise in financial penalties issued against landlords, with fines totaling £1.47m.
In a clear example of Burnham’s interest in the subject, in 2023, a year before Labour’s election victory, he publicly advocated a range of measures that went on to be included in the recent Renter’s Rights Act. These measures included giving councils the power to acquire properties from landlords who are unable or unwilling to improve standards; a mandatory register of landlords; and introducing an independent inspection of rented properties. Burnham’s influence on the legislation is not surprising given the close professional relationship he has with the Act’s chief architect, Angela Rayner.
Also in 2023, Burnham wrote to the then Housing Secretary Michael Gove demanding powers to impose rent controls on the private sector, claiming that landlords were using the cost-of-living crisis as an opportunity to introduce rent hikes.
However, while some landlords may see the policy areas as an indication that Burnham would be anti-private rental housing, his policies may actually be coming from firsthand experience. It has recently been revealed that Burnham himself is a landlord, letting out an ex-council flat in Kennington, which it has been reported is worth £480,000 (double the value Burnham bought it for in 2005).
On new housing, in a Telegraph interview last year, Burnham backed a £40 billion borrowing programme to fund council housing, going on to describe it as the biggest state housing intervention since the 1970s. Part of this programme would also suspend Right to Buy on newly built council homes.
The Times has this week reported that a Burnham premiership could also signal a drastic overhaul of the property tax system. During the by-election campaign he has described Council Tax as “highly regressive”, and he is said to be a supporter of campaign group Fairer Share’s proposal to replace stamp duty and council tax with a new property tax equivalent to 0.48% of a home’s value (which the group has calculated would bring the Treasury the same revenue that is receives for the current taxes).
On leasehold reform, Burnham has actively backed the national Labour government’s platform to ban the sale of new leasehold flats and houses, repeatedly highlighting the need for a fairer system that better protects leaseholders. He has also worked closely alongside campaign groups and individual residents who have been impacted.
While Burnham hasn’t said anything explicitly regarding leasehold reform during the by-election campaign, it can be expected that were he to become PM the policy direction would remain on course. Some sector commentators have suggested that speeding up the process could give him a major positive in his first, crucial, 100 days, but that will depend on if and when he becomes PM, and where the legislation is in its timetable when that happens.
What isn’t in doubt is that housing is, and has been for a while, a priority for Burnham and during his time as Mayor of Manchester he has implemented many significant policies – it is therefore likely that this priority will not change if he goes through the doors of number 10, and that the housing sector in the UK could be in for some significant changes over the coming years.
Mark Chick is the Joint Head of our expert Landlord & Tenant team.
If you have a query concerning leasehold property, then please contact the experts at Bishop & Sewell’s Landlord & Tenant team by emailing leasehold@bishopandsewell.co.uk or call on 020 7631 4141.
The above is accurate as at 19 June 2026.
The information above may be subject to change. The content of this note should not be considered legal advice and each matter should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
