Labour minister for homelessness ‘threw out tenants then hiked rent by £700 a month' ahead of law change to BAN doing it
Rushanara Ali threw out the people living at her east London property and later re-listed it for hundreds more, as reported by The i Paper.
2
2
According to the news outlet, the Labour MP previously rented the four-bedroom townhouse out for £3,300 a month.
But new tenants were forced to fork out an eye-watering £4,000 a month for the home - a stone's throw away from Olympic Park.
The landlord MP, who owns two rental properties, is known for her fight against private renters"being exploited" and championed reform against "unreasonable rent increases".
In fact, Labour's Renters' Rights Bill will ban landlords who are trying to sell their property from relisting it for higher rent less than six months after tenants move out.
The new law is expected to come into force next year.
Conservative shadow Housing Secretary, James Cleverly, said the allegations against Ms Ali 'would be an example of the most extreme hypocrisy and that she should not have the job as homelessness minister'.
Laura Jackson was one of the four people who rented from Ms Ali.
The self-employed restaurant owner was told in November she had four months to leave.
Ms Jackson, 33, told The i Paper: 'It's an absolute joke. Trying to get that much money from renters is extortion'.
The property was managed on Ali's behalf by two lettings agencies, Jack Barclay Estates and Avenue Lettings.
Watch as housing minister reveals new plans to protect tenants
They told tenants they'd be charged nearly a staggering £2,400 for the house to be repainted and professionally cleaned.
But landlords are not allowed to charge tenants for professional cleaning under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
Ms Jackson dubbed the "exploitative" charges "ridiculous and unfair".
However, they were dropped when the firms were told the landlord was a Labour MP.
It is understood Ms Ali was told of the fees and cancelled them.
Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent, said: 'These allegations are shocking and a wake-up call to Government on the need to push ahead as quickly as possible to improve protections for renters.
'It is bad enough when any landlord turfs out their tenant to hike up the rent, or tries their luck with unfair claims on the deposit, but the minister responsible for homelessness knows only too well about the harm caused by this behaviour.'
A source close to Ms Ali told The i Paper her tenants were told their tenancy would not be renewed.
They were reportedly offered a rolling contract before the house went up for sale.
The townhouse was only relisted for rent after she did not find a buyer, said the insider.
A spokesperson for Ms Ali said: 'Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements.'
The property is on sale for £894,990, reduced from £914,995 listed last November.
It comes as The Renters' Reform Bill is expected to come into force next year.
The far-reaching bill will ban Section 21, also known as "no fault" evictions, as well as prevent landlords from increasing rents to deliberately squeeze hard-up renters out of their homes.
The delay to the ban on Section 21 notices, as first reported by The Financial Times, is the first in a string of push backs.
A host of other changes are included in the legislation including ensuring possession grounds are fair to both parties.
This will give tenants more security but also allow landlords to recover their properties "when reasonable".
Providing stronger protections against backdoor eviction will also be enforced.
This will ensure tenants can appeal above-market rents which are designed to force them out.
A new Private Rented Sector Landlord will be introduced to the Ombudsman, meaning renters can get impartial help if they have a grievance with their landlord.
Tenants are also set to receive strengthened rights to request a pet in the property - a landlord will have to consider this and cannot refuse it unreasonably.
Meanwhile Awaab's Law is due to be applied to the sector to clear legal expectations about the time frames within which landlords in the private rented sector have to take action to make homes safe where they contain serious hazards.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Telegraph
A long-term plan is needed to get the country out of its financial hole
SIR – Whether by raising income tax rates, a wealth tax or through less overt measures, the Government will try to extract more money from the people that it serves ('Reeves facing £50bn black hole as tax pressure mounts ', report, August 6). However, such measures risk being self-defeating. Those who are unable or unwilling to leave the country will bear the brunt of the tax rises. That includes standard and higher-rate taxpayers. Every pound the Government extracts from their bank accounts is a pound that cannot be spent on businesses that provide goods and services. Thus, businesses will take another hit which, in turn, will reduce their tax payments. Since the failure of the Truss administration, there has been no long-term plan to get the country out of its financial hole. Eventually, there will have to be one and it will likely involve curbing the insatiable appetite of government to control and spend. When such a plan sees the light of day we may be surprised at the boost it gives to confidence and investment. David Porter Plymouth, Devon SIR – Labour dug itself a financial hole when it pledged not to increase National Insurance (NI), VAT or income tax rates. Instead of imposing VAT on private schools and possibly even on private health, a simple 1 or 2 per cent rise on NI and/or the basic rate of income tax would have solved the Chancellor's problems. Now she is having to cast her net wider – and creating more problems as a result. John Tilsiter Radlett, Hertfordshire SIR – Taxing jobs and taxing capital is not going to result in economic growth. Is it too much to expect a former Bank of England economist to grasp this? Patrick Loxdale Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SIR – There is a limit to which any economy can be taxed. The UK is at that limit. The British public understands this. It is plain that public sector expenditure must be cut to balance the books. Given the Government throws billions around like confetti – on the Chagos Islands, the immigration fiasco, welfare, public sector pay rises, excessive numbers of civil servants – there is much low-hanging fruit. The economy is being badly managed as never before. Enough is enough. Please can we have some economic sanity. Stuart Moore Bramham, West Yorkshire SIR – Having continually criticised the Conservatives for the last 12 months for creating a £22bn black hole in the public finances, I trust Labour will now be constantly criticising itself for doubling the deficit. Paul Webster Dyserth, Denbighshire
Times
29 minutes ago
- Times
Nigel Farage faces Scottish revolt over trans women in female jails
Nigel Farage is facing a revolt from the Scottish wing of his party over whether trans women should ever be sent to female jails. The Reform UK leader earlier this week backed Vanessa Frake, his new justice adviser who is a former prison governor, when she said some transgender criminals should be imprisoned in women's jails. His backing is understood to have dismayed some party figures north of the border, who saw a tough stance on the issue as a vote winner ahead of the 2026 Holyrood elections. Farage later said that he had never supported men in women's prisons. Asked for clarification on their position on trans women in female jails, Reform's spokeswoman in Scotland, Claire Mackie-Brown, claimed that her party was the only one north of the border backing this year's Supreme Court ruling on the definition of woman as 'biological'. The former Scottish Conservative councillor said: 'The SNP, Labour and even fringe parties like the Tories, backed gender recognition and self-identification. 'We stand for common sense: only biological women belong in female prisons and women's spaces — no ifs, or buts.' Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative MP who was previously Reform UK's immigration and justice spokeswoman later said that it was Reform UK's policy to place some trans women in women's prisons. But she said this was only for biological males who have had their body extensively altered in gender transition surgery, for example having their penis removed and taking female hormones. She was speaking after Frake said it was wrong to have a blanket ban on trans women being held in female jails. Frake argued that any decision should be taken on an individual basis after a risk assessment but that trans prisoners she had supervised were by and large 'accepted' by the prison population. She condemned those who support a complete ban as having 'never stepped foot in a prison and seen how prison runs'. This reflects concerns in the prison service that locking up trans women who had undergone substantial physiological changes — and who had long lived as females — could be considered 'inhumane'. There have also been controversies about the incarceration of biological males who have committed serious sex or violent crimes, such as the rapist Isla Bryson, in women's facilities. For Women Scotland, the gender-critical campaign group, said: 'It's of no surprise that the Scottish branch of Reform has split with Farage and the newly appointed prisons adviser. 'They will be fully aware of the damage the idea that people can change sex has done to political parties that support it. No one should vote for a party that states from the outset that they are intending to break the law.' Farage supported Frake, saying: 'When it comes to trans women in prisons, isn't it interesting that we run our country with people who become ministers who generally have absolutely no idea of the subject matter that they're talking about. 'I personally never worked in a prison, so I can't answer it. But I think you'll find that the answer you'll get from somebody who has worked in prisons at the highest possible level is: it's basically about risk assessment, isn't it?' Farage added: 'In terms of the problems in prisons, it's a relatively small one.' The Reform leader had initially welcomed the Supreme Court ruling — which came after For Women Scotland sued the Scottish government — as a victory for common sense. The Scottish Conservatives rounded on their right-wing opponents. Tess White, the Scottish party's equalities spokeswoman, said: 'Reform can't seem to decide if they believe men belong in women's prisons or not. The Scottish branch say one thing, while Nigel Farage says another, all in the space of a few days. 'They're all over the shop but the Scottish Conservatives are clear: we will always stand up for the safety of women, no matter what silly ideas other parties have on this issue. 'It's common sense that men do not belong in women's prisons but Reform seems completely confused over this issue.' Later in a post retweeted by Nigel Farage, the Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin said: 'I would like to clarify Reform UK policy on transgender prisoners serving time in a female prison. I can assure all of you that under a Reform government, no biological male prisoner will ever serve time in a female prison. The safety of women will always be a priority for Reform.'
Times
29 minutes ago
- Times
Scottish council staff off sick at record rate
The level of absence among council staff is at its highest level on record as local authorities are urged to improve their workforce planning. Figures released by the Accounts Commission on Thursday showed the absence rate among non-teacher staff rose to an average of 13.9 days in 2023-24 compared with 10.8 in 2010-11. During the same time, the teacher absence rate increased from 6.6 days to 7.6 days. • We are in a new era of health in the workplace — things must change In a report the commission urged councils to plan their workforce into the future, especially given the age of staff. While 35 per cent of staff — the highest level — are between 25 and 44, a total of 27 per cent of workers are between 45 and 54. There are 29 per cent of workers aged 55 to 64. The commission said: 'Addressing rising sickness absence, embracing innovation and digital technology, and increased collaborative working will all be necessary to attract and retain staff and ensure we all continue to benefit from a skilled and motivated local government workforce.' Local authorities should align their workforce plans with their own priorities, the report said. The commission added that councils were dealing with 'clear and continuing financial pressures' and had to 'transform how they deliver services' to cut costs. 'Auditors report that councils have responded positively to these challenges but that further progress with workforce planning is still needed in light of continuing financial and demand pressures,' the report said. • Scots out of work for sickness and disability at highest level for 20 years Jennifer Henderson, a member of the Accounts Commission, said: 'We all benefit from a skilled and motivated local government workforce; staff are the most important resource that councils have. 'Councils must fundamentally reform how they deliver services, and Scotland's 260,000 council workers are crucial to this. 'Councils need to align their existing workforce plans with their priorities so they can ensure their workforces are the right size and shape, and their staff have the skills they will need. In particular, they need to ensure workers have the digital skills necessary for the scale of changes ahead. 'We have seen many councils already responding to this challenge, and there are valuable opportunities for local bodies to learn from each other.'
