Michael Gove has been criticised for comments made to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee yesterday.

Speaking to MPs on the committee, the secretary of state reiterated that private landlords who rent out more than one leasehold property will not be covered by the government’s commitment that no leaseholder should have to pay to address dangerous cladding.

He argued that this was because he did not want to support those who already had “significant means” to pay for remedial action themselves. Gove further admitted that the government’s plans are not perfect.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is keen to point out that while multi-millionaires owning and living in a single luxury penthouse would be covered by the government’s plans, landlords renting out more than one property for a pension would not be.

According to the government’s own data, 94% of private landlords rent property as an individual, with 44% becoming a landlord to contribute to their pension.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: “Michael Gove’s previous comments about ending the scandal of leaseholders paying to remove dangerous cladding now ring hollow.

“This is not about who does and does not have the means to pay. It is about fairness. No leaseholder, irrespective of how many properties they own, should be expected to foot the bill for dangerous and illegal cladding installed by someone else.”

“The government needs to wake up to an injustice of its own making and make amends now.”