Labour peer in storm over tenant removal and rent hike

Labour has been drawn into another rented home row after one of its biggest donors, Lord Waheed Alli, removed a family from his London property before it was put back on the market at a much higher rent.

The Islington townhouse, a five-bedroom former residence of the peer, had been home to a family of five for four years at £4,800 a month.

In June, they were issued with a section 21 notice.

However, shortly afterwards the property appeared online for £5,850 per month and was eventually re-let for £5,700, still nearly £1,000 more than the previous tenants were paying.

Disappointed to vote Labour

The father of the displaced family told the i newspaper they had offered to match the new rent to avoid upheaval for their children, who were preparing for exams.

He added they pleaded to stay for one extra month but were refused, describing the situation as ‘incredibly disappointing’.

He also criticised the peer’s political ties, saying: “The hypocrisy just feels like too much … I voted Labour and I’m just incredibly disappointed.”

‘Another example of rank hypocrisy’

Mr Alli, a media entrepreneur with an estimated fortune of £200 million, has donated than £500,000 to Labour in recent years.

He has also gifted items worth tens of thousands of pounds to Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner.

He has also allowed the party leader temporary use of his multimillion-pound penthouse.

Conservatives seized on the case, pointing to Labour’s pledge to end ‘no-fault’ evictions.

Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake called the situation “yet another example of rank hypocrisy whereby a Labour peer is engaging in the very practices his party’s legislation seeks to prevent”.

Not generous to tenants

Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said: “This is another example of Labour saying one thing and doing another.”

Housing campaigners also condemned the handling of the case.

Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “Lord Alli has shown real generosity to his own party as a major donor, yet evicting families and using practises that are about to be banned shows that same generosity doesn’t extend to his tenants.”

A spokesperson for Mr Alli insisted he had no role in the eviction process.

The controversy echoes last month’s resignation of homelessness minister Rushanara Ali, who faced similar criticism after tenants were removed from her east London property before it was relisted at a higher rent.