Renters' Voice

Listen back to our fantastic member Jenni Millar, who was on BBC Radio 4 yesterday, highlighting the need for better protections for private renters to address damp, repairs and unaffordable rent increases:

Single parent? Private renter? @singleparentrights.bsky.social wants to hear about your experiences.

They are running a survey to better understand how single parents are treated in the PRS. All data will be anonymised and used to lobby for change.

Find out more and complete their survey below 👇

As the Alliance Party's Housing Spokesperson I support @rentersvoice.bsky.social call to ban no-fault evictions. 🏠
@allianceparty.bsky.social policy paper ‘A New Deal for Private Renters’ confirms it is our view that no fault evictions should be banned.
www.allianceparty.org/new_deal_for...

In NI, a private renter can be evicted without being given a reason, through no fault of their own. The experience of our clients shows us how devastating this is can be.

In a housing crisis, we must prioritise tenant protection and homeless prevention, and #BanNoFaultEvictions.

#ProtectRenters

Please show your support for this campaign by liking & sharing our animation. We want to make this call to government as loud as possible & your support will help us do this.

#ProtectRenters #BanNoFaultEvictions #RentersVoice

Renters' Voice urgently calls for a ban on no-fault evictions to prevent homelessness and provide private renters with the much-needed security they need in their homes.

‼️ We call the government to ‼️

➡️ Introduce longer notice periods
➡️ Introduce indefinite tenancies
➡️ Ban no-fault evictions

No-fault evictions impact renters’ mental health, well-being and finances. For many renters, it can mean a crucial loss of community & support. These evictions can also cause serious disruption to education & employment. For some renters, these evictions lead to #homelessness.

YouTube video by Housing Rights Renters' Voice: No-Fault Evictions

Today, Renters’ Voice is highlighting our call to the government to #BanNoFaultEvictions

Everyone deserves the right to a safe and secure home. By strengthening renters' rights, we can create a fairer housing system where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

#HousingCrisis #ProtectRenters

📢If you are a private renter & want to see the law change in this area, get in touch with us & join our campaign work 📢

👉 What needs to change?

The current standards are low & do not properly protect renters from unsafe homes
Therefore, we will continue to call on the government to update these standards and legislate for repairs to be carried out within a fixed time period, depending on the health & safety risk

🛠 Repairs 🛠

👉What can be done?

If you have reported repairs to your landlord and are not getting anywhere, you can get in touch with your local council for help 📞

The environmental health team can send an officer out to check your home to see if it meets legal standards 📋

⚠️ The law has changed for smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms in private rentals in Northern Ireland ⚠️

Landlords must now install & maintain smoke, heat & carbon monoxide alarms in all properties they rent out to tenants 🔧 and get them checked by a qualified person at least every 5 years 📋

Want to know if your landlord is registered? ✅

Follow this link: www.landlordregistrationni.gov.uk/public-search

The law has changed 👇
Electrical installations in properties must be inspected & tested by a qualified person at least every 5 years. The electrical installations must meet the required standards & landlords must provide tenants with a copy of the report 📋

Your landlord is legally required to give you the following:

✅Tenancy information notice
✅Energy performance certificate
✅Deposit protection information
✅Gas safety record (if applicable)
✅Fitness certificate (if applicable)
✅Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

As a renter, you have a right to know who your landlord is, to have your deposit protected, and to know other details about your tenancy ✅

Is it wrong to own more than one house? The Week in Housing 25/04/25

With more and more property held in fewer hands, the philosophy of housing distribution is something we need to consider

theweekinhousing.substack.com/p/is-it-wron...

Green party candidate tries to evict Labour opponent from property Labour says move is hypocrisy since Greens support ban on no-fault evictions such as one served on Labour candidate and her family

"A Green party council candidate is attempting to evict his Labour opponent from a house he owns using a no-fault notice, despite his party supporting a ban on exactly such kinds of eviction."

Couldn't agree more - guarantor requirements should be banned ❌ They are discriminatory & unfair 👇

Minister committed to enacting legislation to ban sex for rent Jim O’Callaghan says ‘appalling, exploitative’ behaviour totally unacceptable as cross-party group introduces Bill with fine of up to €50,000

So disturbing that this even needs to be a Private Members Bill. The housing crisis is exacerbating the power dynamic between landlord & tenant, and the results are frightening.

Minister committed to enacting legislation to ban sex for rent.

Average rental listing for a home in Belfast has increased to £1,127 per month - PropertyPal Northern Ireland rental average up 8.5% over the year to £960 per month in the first quarter of 2025

Renting is totally unaffordable & not sustainable for so many renters. Every rent increase pushes people closer to their limit.

- We need the government to #preventhomelessness, instead of waiting until it happens to step in
- We need #rentcontrol
- We need #moresocialhomes

@irishnews.com

Generation Rent is trapped in a horror story My friend’s excellent ghost tale brings to mind the psychological effect of instability and rootlessness experienced by those dependent on landlords

www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Renters advised of new laws coming into force for landlords Consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First, says the legislation will protect over 100,000 renters in NI

‼️The law is changing‼️

Landlords must carry out safety checks on electrical installations within a property every five years to ensure their safety. Failure to carry out these duties could result in fines and/or court proceedings.

@belfastlive.co.uk
www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/norther...

Housing Rights runs a mediation service for renters & landlords - check out this info session if you are interested in finding out more about it 👇

Northern Ireland Assembly backs no-fault eviction ban motion A motion calling on the communities minister to ban no-fault evictions has been backed by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Nearly one year after the Assembly backed a motion to ban 'no-fault' evictions, we are still waiting for the government to act.

No-fault evictions impact renter's health, well-being and finances. As well as lead to #homelessness.

We need them to stop 🚫

#housingcrisis #evictions #tenantrights