Government accused of plot to silence critics of asylum seeker hotels and 'two-tier' policing
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The National
16 minutes ago
- The National
UK Homelessness Minister 'evicted tenants and hiked rent to £4k a month'
Homelessness Minister Rushanara Ali kicked out four tenants from her townhouse near the Olympic Park before re-advertising the same four-bedroom property at an increased price, according to an investigation by the i newspaper. The MP for Bethnal Green and Stepney has previously been vocal on renters' rights and has spoken out against 'private renters being exploited". READ MORE: As Ian Blackford considers a return, it's time to look at political comebacks Under Labour's Renters' Rights Bill, the Government plans to bring the private rented sector within the minimum standard set for social housing, and would ban landlords who end a tenancy to sell a property from re-listing it for six months. According to the i, a source close to Ali said the tenants had been informed their tenancy would not be renewed by email and were instead offered a rolling contract. They were reportedly told the rolling contract was necessary as the property was put up for sale. Tenant Laura Jackson, a self-employed restaurant owner and one of four people who rented the property, told the paper: 'It's an absolute joke. Trying to get that much money from renters is extortion'. At the time of ending the tenants' contract, the firms which managed the property also attempted to charge Ali's tenants nearly £2000 for the house to be repainted and £395 for professional cleaning. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords are prohibited from charging their tenants for professional cleaning, and are prohibited from charging tenants to repaint a home unless serious damage has occurred. Jackson said: 'It was really stressful. It was so much money – nearly £500 each! The property was not clean when we moved in; it was ridiculous and unfair.' The fees were dropped once Jackson told the agencies they knew their landlord was a Labour MP, she said. 'If we hadn't known the charges were unlawful, we would have had to pay them. It's exploitative.' Jackson added: 'I just think it's morally wrong that MPs can be landlords, especially in their own area. It's a conflict of interest.' READ MORE: Yvette Cooper under pressure to grant UK visas for 80 Palestinian students After failing to find a buyer, the house was re-listed for rent at £700 a month more, the paper reports. A spokesperson said: 'Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements.' Momentum, the network of activists that grew out of Jeremy Corbyn's first Labour leadership election campaign, reacted to the news: "This Government has got its priorities wrong. "It was quick to suspend four MPs for standing up for disabled people. But when the Cabinet minister for homelessness evicted her tenants to increase rents, it stays silent." Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty said: "Rushanara Ali's position surely cannot be tenable. She must resign."
Leader Live
27 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Homelessness minister faces criticism over hiking rent after removing tenants
Four tenants who rented a house in east London from Rushanara Ali were sent an email last November saying their lease would not be renewed, which also gave them four months' notice to leave, the i newspaper reported. Ms Ali's property was then re-listed with a £700 rent increase within weeks, the newspaper said. A spokesperson for the minister said: 'Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements.' The house, rented on a fixed-term contract, was put up for sale while the tenants were living there, and it was only re-listed as a rental because it had not sold, according to the i. But the minister's actions are now facing scrutiny from rental rights campaigners, as the Government seeks to clamp down on what it sees as unfair rental practices. The Renters' Rights Bill includes measures to ban landlords who end a tenancy to sell a property from re-listing it for six months. The Bill, which is nearing its end stages of scrutiny in Parliament, will also abolish fixed-term tenancies and ensure landlords give four months' notice if they want to sell their property. Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, described the allegations as 'shocking and a wake-up call to Government on the need to push ahead as quickly as possible to improve protections for renters'. He added: '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. 'These allegations highlight common practices that the Government can eradicate. 'The Renters' Rights Bill would ban landlords who evict tenants to sell the property from re-letting it within 12 months, to deter this kind of abuse – but unfortunately members of the House of Lords have voted to reduce this to six months. 'The Government can also use its review of the deposit protection system to penalise landlords who make exaggerated claims at the end of the tenancy.' Tom Darling, director at the Renters' Reform Coalition, said: 'It's mind-boggling that we have a homelessness minister who has just evicted four people in order to rake in more rent – something that will soon be illegal under the Renters' Rights Bill her own department is bringing through Parliament. 'The Government are currently considering an amendment to the legislation from the House of Lords which reduces the ban on re-letting after eviction from 12 months to six months. 'The Government must remove this amendment, and at the very least minister Ali must recuse herself from any discussions on this within Government.' Speaking to broadcasters, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted Ms Ali had not breached any rules. 'I don't know any of the details of this, but I understand that she has followed all of the rules in this case,' Ms Cooper said. Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly told the i that Ms Ali should consider her position as a minister, as the allegations 'would be an example of the most extreme hypocrisy'.
South Wales Argus
27 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Homelessness minister must resign over rent hike after tenants' exit, Tories say
Four tenants who rented a house in east London from Rushanara Ali were sent an email last November saying their lease would not be renewed, which also gave them four months' notice to leave, the i Paper reported. Ms Ali's property was then re-listed with a £700 rent increase within weeks, the newspaper said. Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative party chairman, called for the minister to stand down, accusing her of 'staggering hypocrisy' over her handling of the rental property. A spokesperson for the minister said: 'Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements.' The house, rented on a fixed-term contract, was put up for sale while the tenants were living there, and it was only re-listed as a rental because it had not sold, according to the i Paper. Tory frontbencher Mr Hollinrake said: 'I think it shows staggering hypocrisy. Rushanara Ali has been somebody who's obviously a Government minister in charge of homelessness. 'She's spoken out about exploiting tenants, about providing more protections to tenants. 'You can't say those things, then do the opposite in practice, as a landlord. She's got to resign.' He said the conduct appeared to be 'unethical, not illegal' but 'we can't just say one thing and do another'. Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative chairman, has called for Rushanara Ali to resign (James Manning/PA) The minister's actions have also faced scrutiny from rental rights campaigners, as the Government seeks to clamp down on what it sees as unfair rental practices. The Renters' Rights Bill includes measures to ban landlords who end a tenancy to sell a property from re-listing it for six months. The Bill, which is nearing its end stages of scrutiny in Parliament, will also abolish fixed-term tenancies and ensure landlords give four months' notice if they want to sell their property. Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, described the allegations as 'shocking and a wake-up call to Government on the need to push ahead as quickly as possible to improve protections for renters'. He added: '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. 'These allegations highlight common practices that the Government can eradicate. 'The Renters' Rights Bill would ban landlords who evict tenants to sell the property from re-letting it within 12 months, to deter this kind of abuse – but unfortunately members of the House of Lords have voted to reduce this to six months. 'The Government can also use its review of the deposit protection system to penalise landlords who make exaggerated claims at the end of the tenancy.' Tom Darling, director at the Renters' Reform Coalition, said: 'It's mind-boggling that we have a homelessness minister who has just evicted four people in order to rake in more rent – something that will soon be illegal under the Renters' Rights Bill her own department is bringing through Parliament. 'The Government are currently considering an amendment to the legislation from the House of Lords which reduces the ban on re-letting after eviction from 12 months to six months. 'The Government must remove this amendment, and at the very least minister Ali must recuse herself from any discussions on this within Government.' Speaking to broadcasters, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted Ms Ali had not breached any rules. 'I don't know any of the details of this, but I understand that she has followed all of the rules in this case,' Ms Cooper said.
