PRS Conference 2016 – Getting it Right Report
Housing Rights, with support from TDS NI, held their third conference on the Private Rented Sector on 23rd November 2016 at the East Belfast Network Centre. In advance of the Department for Communities’ consultation paper on their Review of the Private Rented Sector, the conference aimed to look at key issues facing the private rented sector (PRS) in Northern Ireland, and consider best practice in the PRS across the UK and Ireland.
The keynote address was delivered by Minister for Communities, Paul Givan; after this, Professor Paddy Gray commenced the business of the conference by setting the scene of the modern private rented sector in Northern Ireland.
Laying the Right Foundations
The conference’s first session was focussed on security of tenure; Dr Aideen Hayden, Chairperson of Threshold in Ireland, outlined the tenure system in the Irish private rented sector. Representatives from Housing Rights, Belfast City Council and the Landlords’ Association of Northern Ireland then participated in a Q&A session which covered issues around evictions, and dispute resolution.
Addressing the Supply Challenge
The second session considered the challenge of securing supply to the private rented sector in Northern Ireland. Professor Tony Crook, from the University of Sheffield, presented on the role of institutional investment and housing associations in the English private rented sector; Susan Aktemel then outlined her work as Director of Homes4Good, Scotland’s first “social enterprise letting agency.
The session finished with a panel Q&A including Clare McCarty, who detailed Clanmil housing association’s pilot schemes in the private rented sector; Danny McQuillan from Extern, who outlined Extern’s work in housing vulnerable households in the PRS; Robert McDowell, from Rea Estates; and Derek Wilson, from the First Trust.
Raising Standards through Regulation
The final session of the day focussed on how regulation could be used to raise standards in the private rented sector.
Ben Beadle from TDS NI discussed the experience of raising standards in the area of tenancy deposit protection, through offering both deposit protection and associated dispute resolution services. Jennie Bibbings from Shelter Cymru then presented on the ongoing roll-out of landlord licensing in Wales; finally, Charlotte McHaffie from the Scottish Government outlined the Scottish experience of letting agent regulation.
Further reading
A Storify of the conference is available here.
You can also read the Department for Communities’ initial Discussion Paper on the PRS Review, as well as our response.
The Department’s consultation paper, containing proposals as part of their ongoing Review, is expected to be released before the end of the year. Check into the ‘Policy & Research’ section of our website to see Policy and Research Briefings covering key topics – such as landlord licensing, affordability or dispute resolution – under consideration.
Please do not reproduce any information contained in the speakers presentations without their prior consent.
Printer-friendly version