UK Housing Minister Under Fire Over Rent Hike on East London Property
Housing Minister Rushanara Ali is facing growing backlash after reportedly raising the rent on a property she owns in East London by £700 a month, just weeks after her previous tenants moved out.
The timing of the increase has stirred controversy, as Ali currently serves as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping.
The news, originally uncovered by The i Paper, has prompted calls for her resignation and renewed scrutiny on the government’s commitment to renters’ rights.
Last November, four tenants living in Ali’s property were issued a notice informing them that their fixed-term lease would not be renewed. They were given four months to vacate.
Not long after they moved out, the same property was listed again—this time, at a substantially higher rent.
A spokesperson for Ali stated: “Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements.”
Sources close to the minister defended the decision, claiming the property had initially been put on the market for sale during the tenants’ occupancy.
They said the tenants had been offered the chance to remain on a rolling contract but opted to leave. The property was only re-listed for rent, they claimed, after it failed to sell.
Still, housing campaigners and MPs aren’t convinced. “These allegations are shocking and a wake-up call to government on the need to push ahead as quickly as possible to improve protections for renters,” said Ben Twomey, CEO of Generation Rent.
“It is bad enough when any landlord turfs out their tenant to hike up the rent, or tries their luck with unfair claims on the deposit, but the minister responsible for homelessness knows only too well about the harm caused by this behaviour.”
Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty didn’t mince words: “Rushanara Ali’s position surely cannot be tenable. She must resign.”
When questioned, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “I don’t know any of the details of this but I understand she has followed all the rules in this case.”
According to the MP’s latest register of interests, Ali owns three London properties, one co-owned with a relative. Her personal property dealings have now become a lightning rod in the wider debate around the UK’s housing crisis.
The timing of the controversy couldn’t be more pressing. The government’s Renters Reform Bill, currently in its final stages in Parliament, seeks to tighten rules around evictions and rent increases.
If passed, landlords who terminate a tenancy to sell a property will be barred from re-letting it for six months. Fixed-term tenancies will also be scrapped in favour of rolling agreements, offering tenants greater flexibility and notice.
As it stands, most of England’s 4.6 million private renters are on assured shorthold tenancies, either fixed-term or rolling. Under current law, landlords can evict tenants via Section 8 (with a reason, such as rent arrears) or Section 21—a no-fault route requiring no justification.
Ministry of Justice figures show a slight dip in no-fault evictions this year. Between January and March 2025, there were 7,353 such cases—a 6% drop compared to the same period last year.
But for critics, those numbers are little comfort. The “Rushanara Ali rent increase” incident has now become a flashpoint for those arguing that the housing system is being exploited, even by those in charge of fixing it.
As pressure mounts and the Renters Reform Bill inches closer to law, questions remain. Will the government put action behind its promises to protect renters, or will this controversy expose deeper cracks in the system?
