Current Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham The government should give Greater Manchester’s mayor the power to introduce rent controls, according to several candidates vying for the role. Labour’s Andy Burnham, Simon Lepori of the Liberal Democrats, and Melanie Horrocks from the Green Party have spoken in favour of an overhaul of the private rented sector. This could mean restricting the amount of rent that landlords can charge, as well as banning ‘no-fault’ evictions where tenants can be evicted at short notice without good reason. Rent regulation ended for most new lettings after 1989 but since then the size of the private rented sector – and the cost of renting – has increased significantly across the UK.