Labour Donor Lord Alli Evicts Family Raises London Rent

Lord Waheed Alli, a major Labour donor, evicted a family of five from his north London townhouse using a section 21 “no-fault” eviction notice and subsequently relisted the property with a rent increase of nearly £1,000 a month. The family, who had lived in the home for four years and had children settled in local schools, offered to pay the increased rent but were refused, leading to criticism of the eviction as disruptive and unjust. This practice of no-fault evictions and rapid rent hikes is set to be outlawed by Labour’s forthcoming Renters’ Rights Bill, which will ban no-fault evictions and restrict landlords from relisting properties at higher rents for at least six months after eviction. Lord Alli’s eviction case follows similar controversies involving other Labour politicians, such as Rushanara Ali, who resigned as homelessness minister after similar allegations. Despite the criticism, a spokesperson for Lord Alli stated that the eviction was not financially motivated and that the rent was eventually set lower than the market rate. The case has raised questions about the consistency of Labour’s stance on renters’ rights given Alli’s significant donations to the party and his connections to senior Labour figures including Prime Minister Keir Starmer.