Anyone can rent privately so this type of accommodation offers flexibility and choice for people like students, migrant workers and young professionals.  People who cannot afford to buy, or who cannot access social rented property due to high levels of demand are also increasingly turning to privately renting. 

Around 17% (2010) of the homes in Northern Ireland, are privately rented. However the private rented sector is largely unregulated. This can lead to exploitation by some landlords who engage in unfair practices. 

What problems are private tenants experiencing?
What does Housing Rights Service want to see happen?
Key private rented statistics

What problems are private tenants experiencing?

One in three enquires to Housing Rights Service relate to problems in this sector and include issues such as:

• tenancy agreements with unfair or unfavourable terms
• Illegal eviction (getting less than 28 days notice to leave)
• landlords entering the property without giving proper notice
• landlords failing to carry out repairs
• landlords unreasonably withholding deposits
• housing benefit not covering the full rent

What does Housing Rights Service want to see happen?

In our view the only effective way to deal with the problem of bad landlord practices is to legislate for the mandatory registration of all private landlords. A system for resolving disputes is also needed as well as a statutory deposit scheme. This would safeguard deposits paid by private sector tenants.

Full details of what we believe is needed to tackle problems in the private rented sector are available for download.

Housing Rights Service has also produced a good practice briefing ‘Promoting Responsible Letting in the Private Sector'.

Key private rented statistics

• There are 125,000 occupied dwellings in Northern Ireland's private rented sector (17% of total stock), a substantial increase from 81,000 (12%) recorded in 2006.
• One in six dwellings in Northern Ireland is classified as private rented sector
• 17% of privately rented dwellings failed the Decent Homes Standard
• 22.4% of households in the private rented sector were in fuel poverty.