Landlord Tory MPs set to rebel against ‘no-fault’ eviction ban

Some Conservative MPs who are landlords have threatened to vote against the Government’s Renters (Reform) Bill, which would ban Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions of tenants, the Telegraph has revealed.

The rebels claim that the policy is ‘unconservative’ and will drive landlords out of the market, reducing the supply of private rented accommodation.

The Bill, drafted by Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, is due for its second reading in the Commons today (Monday 23 Oct).

It seeks to abolish Section 21 evictions, which allow landlords to repossess their properties without having to prove any wrongdoing by the tenants.

Tory backbenchers see it as anti-landlord

However, the Bill has faced opposition from many Tory backbenchers, who see it as anti-landlord and believe it will harm their voters.

According to research published earlier this year, 87 MPs earn an income from residential property, of which 68 are Conservatives – about one-fifth of Tory MPs.

Marco Longhi, the MP for Dudley North, said he felt unable to support the Bill in its current form.

He told the Telegraph: “If I am forced to vote I will be voting against this, and it will be the first time I vote against a position the Government has taken.

“I am a landlord, so I do declare an interest.

“But I have got an in-depth knowledge of how the market functions.”

He added: “Not only is this very bad for landlords, as exemplified by how much landlords are leaving the market in their droves – for this very reason it’s also a terrible deal for tenants.”

MP landlords were considering their position

Mr Longhi said that fellow MP landlords were considering their position and said: “There are many MPs who are landlords, of all [political] colours.

“A lot of these are privately saying to me, just as the many landlords I know out there in the marketplace, that they are leaving the market.”

He said the reduction in housing supply would ‘just increase demand’ and rents ‘even further’.

He added: “The whole approach from a political perspective is very unconservative.”

Colleagues who own rental properties

Another Tory backbencher, who is not a landlord, said they had heard similar from colleagues who own rental properties and he said: “Those who are small landlords are very adamant of the view that it is very damaging and in some cases, they might want to give up.”

The MP said there were ’30, 40 people I’ve heard about who are pretty cross about the whole thing’.

One former minister planning to vote against the Bill said the Government was in a state of ‘torpor’.

He told the Telegraph: “We’ve still got a majority of 60 and look at our legislative programme.

“The Renters (Reform) Bill could be introduced by Keir Starmer, it’s a Labour Party Bill.

“It’s the worst pieties of the Left who think if you regulate landlords, you make life better for tenants, and you don’t.

“It alienates our voters.”