Three of the top five landlords in parliament are now Labour MPs, including the biggest landlord, new MP Jas Athwal (main image).

The FT’s analysis of parliament’s register of interests suggests that landlords will have greater representation than previously thought during the debate on upcoming rental reforms.

There are 85 MPs who declare themselves as landlords (13% of parliamentarians), owning 184 rental properties between them. Labour has 44 landlords, equating to 11% of its 404 MPs, while the Tory party has 28, a quarter of its 121 MPs, and the Liberal Democrats have eight among their 72 MPs.

Athwal, who rents out 15 residential properties and three commercial properties - all co-owned with a family member - eclipses the portfolio of shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who owns nine rental properties.

Annual income

MPs must declare if they have a rental property that generates more than £10,000 a year in annual income. In the last parliament, Labour had 18 landlord MPs and the Conservatives had 83; many who lost their seat were the sector’s allies and had prompted the government to tone down the Renters (Reform) Bill.

However, pressure groups for rental reform have raised concerns that large numbers of landlords in the House of Commons could thwart policies to rebalance power between landlords and tenants.

Tom Darling, director of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, tells The FT: “We must not have a repeat of the situation that occurred with previous rental reform efforts, where there was a suggestion that parliamentarians’ private interests were contributing to slow-walking and watering down vital renting legislation.”

Two other Labour figures in the top five landlords were also newly elected this summer; Gurinder Josan, MP for Smethwick in the West Midlands, owns eight rental properties alongside members of his family, and Southend East MP Bayo Alaba, owns seven, also with family members.