The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called on the government to give him the powers to freeze private rents in the capital for two years.

According to new analysis by City Hall, based on estate agent Savills forecasts, freezing private rents for two years would save Londoners on average a total of £2,988 across both years, with £881 in the first year and £2107 in the second.

Research from City Hall and YouGov previously estimated that a quarter of London’s 2.4 million privately renting adults had fallen behind on their rent, or said they were likely to do so, as a direct result of the pandemic.

More than a third of private renters polled said they thought the pandemic was having a “large impact” on their personal finances, with half a million Londoners now potentially facing eviction.

Ofgem has already announced an average rise of £693 fuel bills for 1 April by raising the energy price cap, with further steep rises expected due to spiralling global gas prices.

The most recent Bank of England Monetary Policy Report has forecast that inflation will rise still further to over 7%. With no further support to help renters stay in their homes, thousands of low-paid Londoners being impacted by reduced incomes and higher bills will simply accrue more and more debt, with no means of paying it off.

Sadiq Khan, said: “Private renters make up nearly a third of everyone living in the capital and they are set to be hit by a devastating combination of price and bill rises. Too often the needs of private renters are ignored by both landlords and the government.

“Rising fuel and energy costs – which will hit renters in energy inefficient homes the hardest – are already causing anxiety and stress, with a big rise in the energy price cap due next month. That’s why today I’m calling on ministers to give me the powers to stop rents rising in the capital, and help me to give people a chance to get back on their feet after the pandemic.”

Alicia Kennedy, Director of Generation Rent, said: “With the cost of living spiralling out of control, the mayor is right that renters need more protections from unaffordable rent hikes. It’s too easy for landlords to raise rent on tenants and it’s too difficult for renters to negotiate, or challenge a rent increase at a tribunal. Without intervention landlords can effectively evict their tenants by making their home too expensive for them to afford. The mayor needs powers to intervene for London’s millions of renters.”

Recent polling showed that 34% of Londoners have struggled to pay their household bills in the last six months, with 13% struggling to make ends meet, going without essentials or relying on credit.