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Councillor renting out 10 ex-authority homes in ‘Right to Buy to let’ capital

A Conservative councillor in England’s ‘Right to Buy to let’ capital has a private rented portfolio of 10 ex-local authority homes.

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John Bint privately rents out a portfolio of former council homes (picture: Milton Keynes Council)
John Bint privately rents out a portfolio of former council homes (picture: Milton Keynes Council)
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Councillor in ‘Right to Buy to let’ capital renting out 10 ex-authority homes #ukhousing

Tory councillor in ‘Right to Buy to let’ capital lets 10 ex-council homes #ukhousing

Inside Housing research uncovering that more than 40% of former council homes in England are now being let by private landlords made national headlines in December

The council with the highest level of stock sold under the Right to Buy now in the private rented sector is Milton Keynes, with 70.9% of 1,609 flats sold under the policy in the hands of private landlords.


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Inside Housing has learned that John Bint, who has been a councillor since 2007, is likely to be receiving thousands of pounds a month in rent payments through buying the properties

A register of interests document for Mr Bint from June 2017 shows he owns 14 homes in Milton Keynes.

Information obtained from the Land Registry indicates that 10 of these were owned by the council before being sold.

One of the former council properties let privately by Mr Bint
One of the former council properties let privately by Mr Bint

There is nothing illegal about buying up former council properties or renting them out privately. However, social landlords have warned in the past that the movement of homes from council ownership to the private rented sector pushes up rents and contributes to homelessness locally.

According to property website Zoopla, the average rent in Milton Keynes is £1,033 a month, while the average rent on a council home is £371.54, according to government figures. There were 2,533 households on Milton Keynes’ housing waiting list at the end of 2016/17.

Three of Mr Bint’s homes are joint-owned with another Conservative councillor, Catriona Morris. According to local press reports the pair were previously married.

Mr Bint is chair of the council’s executive scrutiny committee and a member of its planning committee.

Another Conservative councillor at Milton Keynes, Edith Bald, is letting out three ex-council homes, according to her register of interests from January 2015.

Read our research on Right to Buy properties now in the PRS

Ms Bald was cabinet member for housing at the council between May 2013 and May 2014.

he said: “Yes, my husband and I have two flats and one maisonette in Fishermead, bought between 2010 and 2012. All were purchased off the open market. Both flats were previously owned by private landlords and the maisonette was a property which had been empty for some time as the owner had moved away.

“All needed significant modernisation including insulation, dry lining, new boilers, new kitchens and upgraded bathrooms, new flooring and decoration. All are tenanted. We have an excellent relationship with all our tenants and all are in very good condition.”

Milton Keynes also topped previous research into the level of former Right to Buy homes in the private rented sector, published by Inside Housing in 2015. A Dispatches documentary in 2016 also placed Milton Keynes at the top of the list.

Mr Bint did not respond to requests for comment.

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