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We've seen increasing numbers of tenants contact us because a Receiver has been appointed to manage the property they rent. Chris McGrath, Solicitor for Housing Rights Service, reports on the legal standing of tenants who find themselves in this position.
Homelessness legislation in Northern Ireland was originally designed to provide housing to homeless people in the social rented sector. However, the supply of social housing has decreased whilst its demand has increased. Consequently, there is now severe pressure on the available social rented housing in many parts of Northern Ireland.
The Department for Social Development has released the latest housing statistics for Northern Ireland. Policy Manager Nicola McCrudden looks at the numbers and the people behind them.
Housing Rights Service has responded to a consultation exercise carried out by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on draft guidance for lettings professionals. We welcome this initiative as we have identified through our casework many difficulties and issues relating to the management practice of letting agencies. Nevertheless we remain to be convinced that the many problems encountered with the lettings industry will be solved by simply encouraging letting agents and landlords to become better informed and equipped to comply with existing consumer protection legislation. We believe greater regulation is necessary and look forward to working with OFT, DSD and Trading Standards in Northern Ireland for greater tenant protection in private rented accommodation.
Through its casework, Housing Rights Service has identified the many difficulties and issues relating to the management practice of letting agencies. We remain to be convinced that the many problems encountered with the lettings industry will be solved by simply encouraging letting agents and landlords to become better informed and equipped to comply with existing consumer protection legislation.
Homelessness continues to be a significant challenge in Northern Ireland and a problem that afflicts the lives of many of local people.
According to DSD, “traditional responses to homelessness have focused on managing the impact of homelessness on individuals and families.. while this remains important, more needs to be done to prevent homelessness”. (DSD, Facing the Future: Housing Strategy for NI).
With the focus of government firmly on the future of social housing in Northern Ireland it is perhaps not surprising that issues relating to the private rented sector are lower on the Department for Social Development’s (DSD) agenda.
This is particularly evident in regard to the long awaited project to introduce a registration scheme for landlords – a provision for which was first included in the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006.
The Office for Fair Trading (OFT) has just launched a consultation on draft guidance which aims to help letting agents and landlords comply with existing consumer legislation.
The UK wide consultation exercise seeks to clarify how the law applies to the lettings market. It also sets out the OFT's views about how the legislation might apply at each step of the lettings process. Dealings relating to business tenants are not covered.