Only 11% of landlords can correctly name Matthew Pennycook as the minister of state for housing and planning.
The overwhelming majority of landlords failed to name the minister and member of parliament for Greenwich and Woolwich, research from buy-to-let lender Landbay shows, who has been in the post since Labour’s election victory in July 2024.
The lack of knowledge reflects how the housing minister post changes so often – 17 times since 2010.
At a cabinet level, the housing secretary role has seen similar churn with new appointment Steve Reed serving as the 12th secretary of state since 2010 and the second of this latest Labour government.
Rob Stanton, sales and distribution director at Landbay, said: “Given the fact that landlords have had to contend with a revolving door of housing ministers for more than decade, it should come as no surprise to see them struggling to keep track of who currently holds the post.
“One way for ministers to fix this issue is to actively engage with the landlord community, understand their challenges and recognise the vital role they play in propping up the housing market and providing housing for one in five households in England and Wales. Instead, they continue to test the incredible resilience of landlords with unhelpful rhetoric and one-sided legislation.
“While ministers and policy may change, landlords can rely on the BTL market for continued support – whether it’s the expert advice of intermediaries to facilitate deals, or lenders such as Landbay continuing to drive innovation to support landlords in expanding or refinancing. The combination of quality advice and agile, forward-thinking lending will enable landlords to navigate this shifting landscape and confidently plan for the long term.”
When asked by Landbay in May, many landlords said Angela Rayner, who until recently served as both deputy prime minister and secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.
Other responses included Lisa Nandy, Julie James, the Welsh Senedd member and minister for delivery, and Baroness Rachel Maclean – a former housing minister under Rishi Sunak.
In addition to some more colourful responses, many landlords said the issue was that the position had changed too many times to keep track. As shown with another reshuffle recently, some said it didn’t matter as the minister is likely to change again.
While one landlord said: “No. it has changed too many times,” another said: “No idea – probably won’t be in post long anyway.”