Andy Burnham faces landlord hypocrisy row over London flat

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Andy Burnham faces landlord hypocrisy row over London flat

Labour Party leader hopeful Andy Burnham has been accused of hypocrisy over reports that he lets a London flat that was partly bought with MPs’ expenses cash.

The Makerfield by-election candidate bought the two-bedroom former council flat in Kennington in 2005, according to The Sun on Sunday.

It reports that its value has since doubled to £480,000.

The claim emerged days after the Greater Manchester Mayor called for tougher action against landlords who fail to bring homes up to a decent standard.

Good Landlord Charter

Speaking on the Social Housing Podcast, Mr Burnham said such properties should be bought through compulsory purchase orders.

He has also launched the Good Landlord Charter as mayor, with the scheme now covering 50% of rented homes in Greater Manchester.

The newspaper reported that mortgage interest on Mr Burnham’s London rental property had previously been paid through his MP’s expenses.

That was before the practice was stopped following the 2009 expenses scandal.

‘Whiff of hypocrisy’

Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative Party chairman, told The Sun on Sunday: “The self-styled King of the North, it turns out, has kept a rather comfortable foothold south of the river.

“Bought thanks to expenses, doubled in value, rented out for profit – despite cries of unfairness against the landlord class he is a part of.”

He added: “There is a certain whiff of hypocrisy.”

The financial arrangement has attracted criticism before.

In 2015, it was reported that Mr Burnham, then shadow health secretary, was letting the Kennington flat while claiming about £17,000 a year in expenses to rent another property nearby.

At the time, that arrangement was within the rules, although he was accused at the time of showing a ‘lack of judgement’.

Mr Burnham’s spokesman has declined to comment.

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Councils urged to take proactive approach to enforcement

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Councils urged to take proactive approach to enforcement

The government has claimed councils “should take a proactive approach to enforcement” under the Renters’ Rights Act.

In a written parliamentary answer, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, said the government aims to establish a “sustainable funding system for enforcement”.

The news comes after a landlord expert warned that councils no longer need to warn landlords before issuing fines under the new legislation.

Councils can issue fines

Under the act, councils have the power to carry out surprise inspections, including entering premises where tenancy records are kept, and to issue fines running into thousands of pounds.

Landlords also face a triple whammy of fees to register their properties under the Renters’ Rights Act.

As reported by The Telegraph, those in selective licensing areas could be required to pay hundreds of pounds to register with a selective licensing scheme, the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database, and the PRS Ombudsman.

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage confirmed councils have been given millions of pounds by the government for enforcement.

Provide funding support for new burdens

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said: “We have allocated the £41.12 million new burdens funding for 2026-27 to support the enforcement of measures in the Renters’ Rights Act, based broadly on private rented sector stock levels per local housing authority, with a small proportion allocated to local weights and measures authorities, typically the local trading standards department, to cover their additional responsibilities in enforcing the rent in advance measure.

“New burdens funding for 2026-27 follows new burdens funding of £18.2 million to local housing authorities in 2025-26 allocated according to the level private rented sector stock in each authority. We are committed to providing funding support for new burdens throughout this spending period.”

She added: “The Renters’ Rights Act places a new duty on local housing authorities to take enforcement action where they suspect non-compliance. Whilst local authorities are best placed to decide the most effective way to enforce the measures in the Act, we expect councils to take a proactive approach to enforcement.

“Our aim is to establish a sustainable funding system for enforcement over the long term based on future Private Rented Sector Database fee revenues.”

Under the act, all landlords must register in the database, which will include information about their properties that tenants can access.

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Property managers set for Renters’ Rights Act boost

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Property managers set for Renters’ Rights Act boost

Landlords facing heavier compliance duties under the Renters’ Rights Act are expected to drive further demand for professional property management.

Rushbrook & Rathbone says the property management sector is already expanding, with the number of operational businesses rising by 2.8% over the past year.

Its analysis of the latest VAT and PAYE enterprise data shows there are now an estimated 20,105 property management businesses operating across the UK, up from 19,550 a year earlier.

The property management specialist says England accounts for 91.1% of the total, while London remains the largest regional market with 6,200 businesses – or 30.8% of the total.

Landlords face more scrutiny

The firm’s managing director, Roma Sharma, said: “The continued growth of the property management sector is ultimately a positive sign and reflects the increasing complexity of operating within the private rented sector.

“As landlords face greater regulatory requirements, more compliance obligations and increasing pressure around tenant management, maintenance and administration, many are recognising the value of professional management support.

“However, the sector also remains highly fragmented, with the vast majority of firms operating on a very small scale.”

She added: “The introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act is only likely to accelerate this trend, particularly as compliance expectations continue to evolve.”

Fastest growth areas

Research shows that the South East ranks second outside London, with 13.8% of firms, followed by the North West at 9.7% and the East of England at 9.1%.

The East Midlands saw the largest annual increase in operational businesses at 7.9%, followed by Wales at 5.5%, the West Midlands at 4.0% and London at 3.7%.

An estimated 80.9% of property management businesses employ between zero and four members of staff, while only 0.9% have 50 or more employees.

Turnover figures follow the same pattern, with more than 72% of firms reporting annual turnover below £250,000.

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