Prior to the change in the rules and the formation of IPSA, we had the unedifying spectacle of a significant proportion of our "honourable" MPs flipping houses so they could claim expenses to tart them up, cover the mortgage interest payments etc. This allowed many to build up quite a property portfolio at the taxpayers expense.
When IPSA was formed and the rules changed, they tried to address this issue, but they left a loophole, which is what this MP and the other 20 or so appear to be exploiting.
You have to think that no, such practices are unlikely to change unless they are exposed in this fashion. This is, amongst other things, one of the reasons I would like to see a right of recall for our MPs, to hold them more properly to account - but it appears the government are now backsliding on the implementing such a proposal.