Homelessness Minister ‘evicted tenants from property and hiked rent by £700’

She’s been accused of hypocrisy 

According to the i Paper, Ali evicted four tenants living in a four-bedroom house she owned on the grounds it would be put on the market to be sold, only for those tenants to find it had been relisted for almost £4,000 — up from £3,300 —  a few weeks later. 

As a politician, Ali has been an outspoken critic of exploitative private landlords, and is one of the driving forces behind the new Renters Rights Bill which is set to become enshrined in UK law next year. 

As part of the bill, if landlords end a tenancy at a property with the intention of selling it, they will not be allowed to relist it for higher rent until at least six-months after the previous tenants moved out. 

A source close to Ali has spoken to the BBC regarding the allegation. 

They said the tenants had been on a fixed-term contract and that the house was put on the market while the tenants were still living there.

The source also said the house had only been relisted after Mrs Ali failed to find a buyer.

A spokesperson for the MP said: “Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements.”

Conservative Shadow Housing secretary James Cleverey has said that if the allegations are proven to be true, they would be “an example of the most extreme hypocrisy and she should not have the job as homelessness minister”.

The SNP’s deputy Westminster leader added: “Once this shameful story broke, Labour’s homelessness minister should have immediately resigned. The fact that she still hasn’t means this is now a direct test of Keir Starmer – he needs to sack her immediately.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also weighed in, saying that she didn’t understand why there were Conservative calls for Ali to resign. 

Reeves said: “I don't know the details but Rushanara Ali seems to have done everything in accordance with the law."