Lobbying group Acorn has apologised for incorrectly accusing the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) of ‘campaigning against the abolishment of Section 21 evictions’.

The allegation had been made by Acorn's branch in Brighton, which had included comments about the NRLA within its ‘template’ offered to members wishing to respond to the city council’s recent landlord licencing consultations, which ended yesterday.

The council is looking at both selective licencing and additional HMO licencing schemes and considering different options.

But Acorn also claimed in its consultation template - incorrectly - that NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle (pictured) had misled MPs when giving evidence to a parliamentary investigation into the private rented sector last year.

This was a claim that had been made by a national newspaper which later added a clarifiaction after MPs intervened to back Beadle, saying he had not 'misled' them.

Disgraceful

Calling out Acorn's claims, which he described as ‘disgraceful’, Beadle thanked a colleague for spotting the comments.

Acorn has now released a statement on Twitter saying: “We are writing to correct a statement made in the template response to the Landlord Licencing consultation previously shared on this page.

“The NRLA is not campaigning against the abolish of Section 21 evictions, which was incorrectly claimed.

“Further to this, we mistakenly stated that Ben Beadl LIED to Parliament, based on a claim made in the Guardian, which has been corrected since publishing.”

Generation Rent says it has amended its template response to the consultation and wants to “apologise to Ben Beadle”.

Main pic credit: Darren Skilton