Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey has pledged that the next Labour Government will protect private renters in England from eviction with new ‘indefinite’ tenancies, based on rules currently in place in Germany.

The change would revolutionise the private rental market. German tenancies last, on average, 11 years, compared to around 4 years in England. The German system is also widely seen to act as a brake on rent increases. Tenants themselves are still be able to choose to leave the property after a period of notice.

Under the German system, tenancies are effectively open-ended with a tenant only able to be evicted on tightly defined grounds, for example if they don’t pay the rent or commit criminal behaviour in the property.

The Party has previously set out additional measures for controls on rents and tougher standards which will sit alongside this new proposal.