Head of landlord association slams Green Party over ‘nonsense’ landlord policy

The Green Party’s policy to abolish landlords has been branded “nonsense” after a second senior party leader was revealed to be a landlord.

Co-deputy leader Rachel Millward is the latest Green Party figure to be outed as a landlord, following fellow co-deputy leader Mothin Ali, who was revealed as a landlord last week.

This is despite Green Party members voting at last year’s conference to back the abolition of landlords.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), said the policy was “nonsense and divisive”, arguing that more landlords are needed while housing remains in short supply.

£5,000 a year from letting rooms in family home

The Telegraph reports Ms Millward receives around £5,000 a year from letting rooms in the family home she shares with her husband.

While the Green Party has previously said Ms Millward is “not a landlord in any other capacity”, she also has longstanding financial links to another rental property.

Her late father bought a three-bedroom Victorian house in Oxford for her to live in while studying at university in the 1990s. After she graduated, it was rented to students, with the income shared between Ms Millward and a relative until 2022.

Ms Millward is expected to inherit part of the estate and reportedly received £114,500 in connection with the property in 2022. The house remains rented to students for £2,315 a month, with the income currently going to her father’s estate while probate is completed.

The news comes after the BBC reported last week that fellow co-deputy leader Mothin Ali had bought two properties through his company as buy-to-lets to support a vulnerable family member.

Nonsense and divisive policy

With two Green Party members now revealed to have landlord interests, NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle has criticised the party’s policy to abolish landlords.

He said on X, formerly Twitter: “This shows what a nonsense and divisive policy it is. People become landlords for a whole host of reasons, and at a time when housing is in short supply, I’d say we need more Rachel Millwards.

“I hope those landlords within the Green Party will be able to inject a dose of common sense into their housing policies.”

The Green Party has defended Ms Millward and Mr Ali, telling GB News that “supporting reform of the private rental system does not require individuals to shed themselves of every asset affected by it.”

The party also said Ms Millward has always acknowledged being “materially lucky in life”, arguing that campaigning for people with less privilege is not hypocritical.

Alongside its pledge to abolish landlords, the Greens have also proposed tighter regulation and higher taxes on private renting, including rent controls, scrapping Right to Buy and applying business rates to Airbnb properties.