Overview
- Rachel Reeves apologized and applied for a Southwark selective licence after renting out her Dulwich home without one, recording rental income since September 2024 at about £3,200 a month.
- Keir Starmer consulted independent adviser Sir Laurie Magnus, who advised that further investigation was not necessary, and the prime minister said the matter could be closed at that stage.
- Downing Street later said a review of emails involving Reeves’s husband produced new information that has been shared with the prime minister and the independent adviser.
- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and other opponents called for a full investigation, increasing political pressure weeks before the 26 November Budget.
- Southwark’s selective licensing rules require landlords to be licensed before letting, with possible enforcement actions including warnings, fines and rent repayment orders for unlicensed rentals.