Landlords accused of ‘making up stories’ in drive to change UK tax rules

Lobbyist who warned of landlord ‘exodus’ found to have acknowledged to allies sector is actually growing

Private landlords have been accused of “making up stories” about the state of the rented sector in an attempt to persuade the government to scrap UK tax measures forecast to cost them close to £1bn a year.

The allegation came after it emerged a lobbyist for private landlords in England and Wales, who has argued the tax rules have forced them to sell up in an “exodus”, said to allies it was “not terribly helpful” to have to acknowledge that the sector was actually increasing in size.