Private Tenancies

Letting fees in Northern Ireland: Briefing Paper

December 2020

Letting fees are payments charged by estate agents. They include application fees and administration fees for carrying out credit and employment checks. Despite a significant court ruling in 2017, agents in Northern Ireland continue to charge fees to tenants. Housing Rights believes that the continued practice of charging unlawful letting fees illustrates that case law and Ministerial direction have not been sufficient to curb this practice. It is imperative, in our view, that legislation is brought forward to remove any ambiguity and to ensure that this unlawful practice is brought to an end. This briefing paper sets out the current legislative position in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in regards to letting fees, and highlights the omissions and ambiguities in the current legislation prohibiting such fees in Northern Ireland.

HousingRights-briefing-letting-fees.pdf

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Private Tenancies

Housing Rights sees two and a half times increase in the number of private tenants contacting them for advice about their landlord selling up

14 December 2020

In the past year, a local charity has seen a 2.5 fold increase in the number of people seeking help because their landlord is selling their home.

Housing Rights advice manager Brenda Parker stressed the importance of private renters understanding their rights, and not feeling pressured to move early just because the property is for sale.

Tenants’ rights when landlord wants to sell

10 December 2020

showing over 500% increase in renters seeking advice because property is for sale

Our advisers have noted an increase in the number of people contacting us for help because their home is being sold by their private landlord.

We’ve already received as many calls about this issue in the first 9 days of December than we had during the whole of March, April and May of this year.It’s important that tenants know what their rights are if their landlord decides to sell their home, and know how to get advice and help if they do need to move.

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Coronavirus, Private Tenancies, Practical tips

PRS2020 Conference report: Future-Proofing Private Renting

3 December 2020

Housing Rights held its annual conference on the private rented sector on the 25 November 2020. TDSNI sponsored this year’s conference, with support from PropertyPal and

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Private Tenancies

The ‘Perfect Storm’: The impact of Covid-19 on private renters

Research Paper

November 2020

A new report on the impact of Covid-19 on private renters in Northern Ireland, shows that those living in the private rented sector have been disproportionately affected, caught in the ‘perfect storm’ of low incomes (often as a result of job losses, furlough or reduced hours), job insecurity and tenure insecurity. In part this may be due to the increasing proportion of low income households in the private rented sector, and as such a policy change in favour of social and affordable housing will be key to a post Covid-19 recovery. The research has also shown that the support that many households received has been immensely helpful, but it has also shown us that it is important to remember that we may all be in the same storm, but we are definitely not in the same boat.

The impact of Covid-19 on private renters in Northern Ireland.pdf

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Coronavirus, Legislation, Regulation, Research, Private Tenancies, Policy

The ‘Perfect Storm’: The impact of Covid-19 on private renters in Northern Ireland

24 November 2020

A new report on the impact of Covid-19 on private renters in Northern Ireland is launched today. The research uses evidence from case records relating to clients who contacted Housing Rights during the period March-June 2020 and shows that those living in the private rented sector have been disproportionately affected, caught in the ‘perfect storm’ of low incomes (often as a result of job losses, furlough or reduced hours), job insecurity and tenure insecurity.

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Coronavirus, Legislation, Regulation, Research, Private Tenancies, Affordability

Most landlords in Northern Ireland are small-scale, but experienced

13 November 2020

In October, The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) released key findings from their Private Landlords’ Survey. The survey highlighted the increasing importance of the Private Rented Sector (PRS), which has been the second largest housing tenure in NI since 2009 and continues to grow. The survey looked at:

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Research, Private Tenancies

Minister delivers "once-in-a generation" statement on housing policy in Northern Ireland

4 November 2020

Minister Carál Ní Chuilín outlined her plans for housing in Northern Ireland in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 4 November. The statement was described by Assembly colleagues as visionary, radical and ambitious.

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Private Tenancies, Policy

Preventing Homelessness and Sustaining Tenancies in the Private Rented Sector: Scoping Project

Research Paper

September 2020

A scoping project to inform innovation in future service delivery around accessing and sustaining tenancies in the private rented sector by understanding the practical support needs of low income private tenants.

Preventing Homelessness and Sustaining Tenancies in the PRS.pdf