The I newspaper – which last week revealed the eviction of tenants from a house owned by a housing minister – is now leading a debate on whether MPs should be landlords.
It says the government’s Renters Rights Bill, set to become law next month,
Has encountered “serious setbacks” that threatens the government’s credibility and effectiveness.
It appears to be suggesting the setbacks may have been caused by MPs who are also landlords.
The paper says a group of 75 landlord MPs “are set to make at least £4m from their tenants during the lifetime of this Parliament.”
This includes 38 Labour MPs who make at least £10,000 a year from residential rental income according to the Commons register of interests.
They include Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who is reportedly making £74,000 a year from letting her former south London home for over £6,000 a month.
There are also 26 Tory MPs, seven Liberal Democrat MPs, two independents, one Reform MP and one Green Party MP who are also landlords.
The I cites activist group the Renters Reform Coalition as claiming one in five members of the House of Lords are landlords or have other financial interests in property.
The i newspaper suggests Labour could prevent MPs who own rental properties from managing them directly. It claims this “could demonstrate a more substantial commitment to putting tenants’ interests ahead of political convenience.”
However the I itself has reported in recent days the Rushanara Ali – the housing minister who quit last week following the eviction revelations – used letting agencies to manage the house at the centre of the scandal.
This article is taken from Landlord Today