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14/7/25 8:13 pm
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The London lettings agency at the centre of the Rachel Reeves selective licensing scandal has released a statement to the BBC revealing why it did not apply for a selective license on behalf of the Chancellor.
Dulwich-based Harvey & Wheeler (main image) boss Gareth Martin (pictured), who initially declined to reply to enquiries yesterday, has now said he’s apologised to Reeves and explained why the licence wasn't obtained.
“We alert all our clients to the need for a licence,” he says.
“To be helpful our previous property manager offered to apply for a licence on these clients’ behalf, as shown in the correspondence,” he says.
“That property manager suddenly resigned on the Friday before the tenancy began on the following Monday.
“Unfortunately, the lack of application was not picked up by us as we do not normally apply for licences on behalf of our clients; the onus is on them to apply.
“At the time the tenancy began, all the relevant certificates were in place and if the licence had been applied for, we have no doubt it would have been granted.
“Our clients would have been under the impression that a licence had been applied for. Although it is not our responsibility to apply, we did offer to help with this.”
Martin’s comments reflect the fact that it is the legal responsibility of the ‘superior landlord’ which is legally the person named on the Land Registry ownership documents, to ensure licensing regulations are adhered to.
“We deeply regret the issue caused to our clients as they would have been under the impression that a licence had been applied for,” he added.
The letting agency’s admission that it did not apply for the licence means Reeves is off the hook politically and technically, as she can now claim accurately that it is ‘her agent’s fault’.
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