0:01 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago 26
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The London Renters Union is demanding a ban on MPs as landlords after data reveals Labour has the highest number of landlord MPs.
Data from The i, based on the register of members’ interests, shows that 38 Labour MPs earn more than £10,000 a year in rental income.
However, the actual number could be higher, as MPs are only required to declare property portfolios if their rental income exceeds £10,000, meaning more MPs could be landlords without having to declare it.
The news comes after Labour MP and homelessness minister Rushanara Ali resigned over evicting her tenants and pushing up the rent by £700 a month.
According to The i, 38 Labour MPs earn at least £10,000 annually from rental income.
Among them are cabinet ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, both of whom reported rental income exceeding £10,000 in the most recent register of members’ interests.
Previously, The Telegraph reported Ms Reeves and her husband are earning £74,000 annually from rental income.
Labour MP Jas Athwal is Labour’s biggest landlord, owning 15 properties. However, after an investigation, Mr Athwal, who describes himself as a “renters champion” and a “good landlord,” was forced to admit that his rental properties are plagued by ant infestations and black mould and are unlicensed.
The i also reveals that one in ten MPs are landlords, with 83 MPs owning rental properties in the current Parliament. Of these, 77 are residential landlords, while the rest own commercial or agricultural property.
The Conservatives have 27 landlord MPs, and the Liberal Democrats have nine, including Lib Dem MP Charlie Maynard, who declares rental income from a house in New York.
Co-leader of the Green Party Adrian Ramsay is also a landlord but claims in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he co-owns the property with his ex-wife and does not make a profit, as he keeps the rent below market rates.
However, he is listed on the register of interests as earning more than £10,000 in rental income.
Tenant groups are now calling for MPs to be banned as landlords, claiming it’s a conflict of interest.
Jae Vail, spokesperson for the London Renters Union, told the i: “The sheer number of landlords in parliament is shocking.
“During an unprecedented housing crisis, it’s a blatant conflict of interest that MPs are making millions from struggling renters, while some even use taxpayer money to cover their own personal rents. Tenants need a government that works for us, not one that profits from our hardship.
“Until parliament is free of landlord MPs, renters will not trust the government to deliver the bold action we need. It’s time for the government to ban landlords from parliament and start working for ordinary people, investing in council housing and capping rents.”
However, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), defended landlord MPs.
A spokesperson for the NRLA told the i: “Calls for MPs to be totally banned from being landlords are fuelling an unhelpful narrative that providing homes to rent is a bad thing” when demand is outstripping supply.
“Being a landlord is not a bad thing. For MPs, it is vital that when deciding whether to rent out property, they have the time to fully meet the responsibilities of being a landlord.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government told The i that strict parliamentary rules govern MPs when renting out property, and that the Labour government is working on the Renters’ Rights Bill to transform security for renters.
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Judith Wordsworth
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Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1375
10:00 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
Before the Renters Reform Bill rose it’s head there were more landlord MP’s.
Many saw the writing on the wall, on both sides of the House and sold off.
But MP’s shouldn’t be banned from being PRS or commercial landlords – at least they have, or should have, some knowledge and experience in the sector.
David
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Member Since April 2018 - Comments: 265
10:04 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
Were all these MPs asleep when the RR bill progressed, or as a minority were they simply overruled.What is this rubbish the London Renter’s Union spout. Make millions do they, earn over £10,000 pa do they, but they forget to mention the running costs and tax. What more “bold action” do these people want!
Keith Wellburn
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Member Since March 2024 - Comments: 267
10:18 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
Ridiculous idea, generally speaking MP landlords should be better as a generalisation (we know what happens when they sail close to the wind or cross the line).
It’s a positive if they don’t get a ‘there, there, poor you’ over every one of their endless and unrealistic demands (as opposed to legitimate grievances and constructive suggestions) when lobbying their MPs.
moneymanager
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Member Since February 2018 - Comments: 627
10:39 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
Far from banning MPs from being landlords, their knowledge should be welcomed, what next, will we ban MPs from being homeowners or from having experience in any other sector?
The_Maluka
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Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2128 - Articles: 1
10:42 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
I look forward to the local authorities imposing £40,000 fines on these MP landlords for the most minor of administrative errors.
Rod
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Member Since August 2021 - Comments: 305 - Articles: 1
10:44 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
Yet another reactionary attempt by a so called renters rights group to push their agenda by suppressing open debate and free speech.
No doubt the advocates of this ban were equally guilty of leading no platforming of university debates where speakers did not share their views.
Not only do such approaches seek to create a forum where diverse opinions are suppressed, it also promotes poor law making with the resulting unintended consequences if one party in the rental market and their real world experiences are excluded.
Extended to its logical conclusion, all tenant rights groups, and anyone associated with local government or housing associations would also be excluded to ensure no bias.
Let’s not forget that many a landlord has at some point in their life also been a tenant, whether as a student, between home moves or due to work commitments.
Will these groups be announcing to the press how proud they re of pushing rent up due to
(pick as many as apply):
– local authority licensing
– the yet to be clarified EPC (C) requirement
– registration fees for the RRB ombudsman, landlord and rental property databases
– S24 and SDLT surcharge
– higher insurance costs for rent protection
– contingency margin to cover extended period to recover property
– contingency margin to cover unexpected voids when tenants end contract inside 6 months
– contingency margin to cover pets (assuming extra deposit rejected)
– Whatever surprises the Chancellor conjures up in her budgets
moneymanager
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Member Since February 2018 - Comments: 627
10:50 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
Does the Members Register require the reporting of gross or net rental income?
Helen
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Member Since March 2020 - Comments: 182
11:11 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
As usual they have not thought this through. Would they expect newly appointed MP’s to evict their tenants then and sell their properties? By the time the eviction goes through they might have lost their seat 🙂
As it is, the number of MP’s of all parties with properties would mean a mass of evictions. How would this help the housing crisis? Also, many MP’s need to move to live and rent closer to London so rent out their existing homes. Surely this is better than leaving them empty, which is a waste of rentable space.
Mick Roberts
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Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 3200 - Articles: 80
11:28 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Helen at 13/08/2025 – 11:11
You speak my words Helen.
Where are these tenants gonna live then?
So the Renters groups want more evictions?
More of less Supply?
They really don’t think this through.
JeggNegg
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Member Since January 2022 - Comments: 266
11:30 AM, 13th August 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by moneymanager at 13/08/2025 – 10:39
I agree I too think it’s a good idea MP ‘s have hands on experience of being a landlord. For the majority of MPs who have no landlord or tenant experience do they get their knowledge of the PRS from organisations like Shelter or Generation Rent etc or possibly from NRLA?
Maybe we might get better leadership if All MP’s had to have a qualification is a business attribute! After all are they not all managers of a very big Business.?
If you were a small business owner would you employ your local MP to add value to your company?