Homelessness Minister Under Fire Over Rent Hike After Evictions
So, here's a story that’s been stirring up quite a bit of controversy—and understandably so. It’s about the UK’s homelessness minister, Rushanara Ali, who’s now facing intense backlash over how she handled tenants in one of her private rental properties in East London.
Also Read:- Karl Malenfant Faces Setback in Legal Fee Battle with SAAQ
- Portland Timbers Brace for Club América Showdown Like a Cup Final
According to reports, including coverage from The i Paper , Ali gave her four tenants notice last November that their lease wouldn’t be renewed. They were told the house was going to be sold, and they’d have to move out. Four months later, after the tenants left, the same house was reportedly relisted—not sold, but re-rented —and this time, at a price that was £700 more per month than what the previous tenants had been paying.
To put that into context, the rent jumped from around £3,300 a month to nearly £4,000. And this is the same person who, as the minister responsible for homelessness and rough sleeping, has been vocal about the need to protect renters from exploitation and unreasonable rent increases. So, naturally, this has raised some serious eyebrows.
Critics from across the political spectrum have called out what they see as clear hypocrisy. Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative Party chair, said it was “staggering” that someone who speaks out about tenant protections would act in this way herself. SNP’s deputy leader Pete Wishart said she should have “immediately resigned” once the story broke. Even within her own party, there are calls for her to step down, with some Labour members saying MPs shouldn’t be landlords at all.
Now, in her defense, a spokesperson for Ali said she had followed all legal requirements and that the house was on a fixed-term lease. A source close to her also claimed the house had been genuinely put up for sale, and the tenants were told they could stay on a rolling contract during that time. But since the property didn’t sell, it was relisted for rent.
Still, the timing of it all has really struck a nerve. It’s not just about legality—it’s about perception. When someone in charge of tackling homelessness appears to be pushing out tenants only to hike rent significantly, it undermines public trust. Especially when the government is on the verge of introducing a new Renters’ Rights Bill, aimed at stopping exactly this kind of practice—where a landlord ends a tenancy supposedly to sell, but then re-lists the property at a higher rent.
So, this incident is being seen not just as a scandal about one politician’s actions, but as a wider reflection of the housing crisis and the double standards that sometimes surface in politics. Whether she stays in the role or not, this story has definitely struck a chord with the public—and it’s not going away anytime soon.
Read More:
0 Comments