As the government pushes its controversial housing and planning bill, research reveals almost a third of MPs let out houses or flats

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The number of MPs supplementing their incomes by acting as landlords has risen by a quarter since the last parliament, with David Cameron and George Osborne among those earning extra money by renting out properties.

According to Guardian research, almost a third of MPs are now letting out their houses or flats, with 196 declaring rental income on the official register of interests this year. The majority of those are earning more than £10,000 a year from the property, topping up their basic MP’s annual salary of £67,060.

The Conservative party has the highest number of landlord MPs at 128, meaning 39% of Tory MPs are landlords, compared with 26% of Scottish National party MPs and 22% from Labour.

The research reveals a much higher proportion of MPs are landlords than the general adult population, in which just 2% are estimated to be renting out homes.



Cameron has frequently extolled the benefits of home ownership since the election, allowing social housing tenants to buy their properties and pledging to help young people by turning “generation rent into generation buy”.

The chancellor is also reducing tax breaks for landlords and bringing in an additional 3% stamp duty on second properties in an apparent attempt to slow the buy-to-let boom.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Defend Council Housing campaigners protest against the housing bill outside the Houses of Parliament. Photograph: Mark Kerrison/Demotix/Corbis

However, both are landlords themselves. The prime minister’s rental property is thought to be the four-bedroom house in Notting Hill he bought in 2005 for more than £1m, which is likely to have more than doubled in value since. Osborne has rented out a residential property in London since 2011.



Other notable Tory landlords include Brandon Lewis, the housing minister, who lets a house in Essex that brings in more than £10,000 a year.

The government’s housing policy has come under intense criticism from the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who has challenged the attack on social housing and the failure to address the shortage of homes.



While Cameron and Osborne have championed schemes such as help to buy, starter homes and shared ownership, they have been accused of failing to protect social housing, scrapping quotas for affordable homes, and not building enough new properties.

The government was further criticised this week when Conservative MPs threw out a Labour amendment to the housing and planning bill designed to ensure all rented accommodation is safe for people to live in.

Tories reject move to ensure rented homes fit for human habitation Read more

As well as renting property, 18 MPs have a shareholding, interest or directorship in at least one property company. David Tredinnick, a Conservative backbencher, is the director of Malden Mitcham Properties and declared £22,311.52 of income from his 12 hours work for the company each month. Tory MP James Cartlidge is the founder and former co-director of Share to Buy, a shared ownership company, and maintains shareholdings.

Total number of landlord MPs Total number of MPs who are landlords

Sign up for your free Guardian Housing network newsletter with news and analysis sent direct to you every Friday. Follow us: @GuardianHousing