Labour manifesto housing, rent and property policies – at a glance

Labour has already pledged to select the sites for a series of new towns by the end of the year, and made waves in the lead-up to the campaign with its pledges to back the “builders not blockers”.

The party has promised to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of the next parliament, setting itself an ambitious target on building new homes.

It has also pledged to protect England’s green belt zones, which exist to defend the countryside from urban sprawl.

First-time buyers will also find interest in the party’s manifesto, which seeks to make permanent a mortgage guarantee scheme to help people onto the property ladder.

READ MORE: Labour vows to protect green belt despite housebuilding drive

Here is a summary of the party’s key pledges on housing: 

• Building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament, 2024-2029
• Immediately update the National Policy Planning Framework, including restoring mandatory housing targets.
• Ensure planning authorities have up-to-date local plans 
• Reform and strengthen the presumption in favour of sustainable development
• Increasing the rate of stamp duty surcharge paid by non-UK residents
• We will “not be afraid” to make full use of intervention powers 
• Prioritise the development of previously used land and fast-tracking approval of urban brownfield sites.
• Committed to preserving the green belt
• Release of lower quality ‘grey belt’ land and an introduction of ‘golden rules’ to ensure development benefits communities and nature.
• New generation of new towns and large-scale new communities across England. 
• Introduce effective new mechanisms for cross-boundary strategic planning.
• Combined Authorities get new planning powers, freedoms and flexibilities to make better use of grant funding. 
• Reform compulsory purchase compensation rules to improve land assembly, speed up site delivery, and deliver housing, infrastructure, amenity, and transport benefits to the public. 
• For specific types of development schemes, landowners are awarded fair compensation rather than inflated prices based on the prospect of planning permission.
• Deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
• Strengthen planning obligations to ensure new developments provide more affordable homes; 
• Prioritise the building of new social rented homes
• Reviewing the increased right-to-buy discounts introduced in 2012 and increasing protections on newly-built social housing. 
• Local authorities to give first-time buyers the first chance to buy homes 
• Introduce a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme, to support first-time buyers who struggle to save for a large deposit, with lower mortgage costs.

Find out more through our wider 2024 Labour party manifesto coverage so far:

READ MORE: Labour manifesto launch: Live updates, reaction and analysis

READ MORE: Full manifesto costs breakdown – and how tax and borrowing fund it

READ MORE: The key manifesto policy priorities in brief

READ MORE: Labour vows to protect green belt despite housebuilding drive

READ MORE: Watch as Starmer heckled by protestor inside with ‘youth deserve better’ banner

READ MORE: GMB calls manifesto ‘vision of hope’ but Unite says ‘not enough’

READ MORE: Manifesto commits to Brexit and being ‘confident’ outside EU

READ MORE: Labour to legislate on New Deal for Working People within 100 days – key policies breakdown 

READ MORE: Labour to give 16-year-olds right to vote

READ MORE: Starmer says ‘manifesto for wealth creation’ will kickstart growth

READ MORE: Dodds: ‘Our manifesto is a fully funded vision, while Tories offer a Christmas tree of gimmicks’

READ MORE: IFS: Labour manifesto doesn’t raise enough cash to fund ‘genuine change’

READ MORE: ‘Labour’s manifesto is one the party can promote with confidence’

READ MORE: ‘No manifesto surprises, but fear not: all parties do so much more in power’

Read more of our 2024 general election coverage here.

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