What the emails with letting agent tell us in licence row

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has released a series of emails as pressure mounts over her breach of housing rules.

The Chancellor rented his family home in south London when he moved to Downing Street but it emerged this week that he did not have the correct rental license from the local council.

The house is located in an area where Southwark Council requires private homeowners to obtain a selective license at a one-off cost of £945.

He apologized and said he was not initially aware that a license was required.

But on Thursday, Reeves said her husband found emails showing the rental agency told them a license was needed and the agency would apply on their behalf.

He released two email chains between July 17 and August 13, 2024, in which Reeves’ husband, Nicholas Joicey, and agents Harvey & Wheeler corresponded about the steps needed to lease the property.

Open July 17, The letting agent tells Reeves’ husband that electrical tests need to be carried out at their property, adding: “Once we have this we will need to apply for a license under the Selective Licensing Scheme through Southwark Council.”

An email from the rental agency also confirmed that the company had taken responsibility for the license application.

in an email dated July 22The letting agent said to Reeves’ husband, “I can arrange for a Selective License after the tenants move out – would you like me to arrange that for you after they move out?”

Four days later on July 26 Reeves’ husband asks how much the selective license and some other things will cost, and adds: “Depending on that, I’d be grateful if you could arrange for those.”

The letting agent responded the same day stating the cost was £900 and offering to arrange the electrical testing required to obtain a licence.

Open 13 AugustReeves’ husband returns, albeit late, and says “yes please, go ahead” and arranges the license.

In response on the same day, the rental agency says, “I will do the Selective License.”

Letting agent Harvey & Wheeler said the property manager responsible for applying for a license on its behalf “suddenly resigned” before the tenancy began.

Company owner Gareth Martin said in a statement: “Unfortunately, we were unable to detect the lack of applications as we do not normally apply for licenses on behalf of our customers; the responsibility for applying lies with them.

“We apologized to the owners for this oversight.

“All relevant certificates were available when the tenancy commenced and had an application for a license been made we had no doubt it would have been granted.

“Our customers were under the impression that a license application had been made. Even though it was not our responsibility to apply, we offered to help in this regard.

“We deeply regret the issue our customers are experiencing because they were under the impression that they were applying for a licence.”

A spokesman for the Conservatives said Reeves and her husband were “responsible” for ensuring the rental license was granted, regardless of assurances from the estate agent.

They called on Sir Keir Starmer to conduct a “proper investigation” into the incident.

In his updated statement Thursday, Reeves said: “As I told you today, I am sorry for this matter and accept full responsibility for it.

“You rightly expect the highest standards from ministers serving in your government and that is why I have shared the correspondence between my husband and the institution with the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards and would be happy to answer any further questions necessary.”