[em500]

> I could never understand why this wasn't means tested continually.

They've started some degree of means testing a few years ago: the maximum allowed rent increase on social/rent-controlled houses can now depend on income. This was controversial legislation for privacy reasons (it involves giving landlords information about tenant incomes every year).

[kingludite]

Oh, I missed that one. It seems to me that income tax based on rent would be more privacy preserving.