As the UK gradually returns to normal following the pandemic, some regional governments are introducing changes that could have a negative impact on the private rented sector.
An amendment to Northern Ireland’s Private Tenancies Bill has been agreed. If introduced, this will result in the lengthening of notice-to-quit periods, for most tenancies.
Daryl McIntosh, policy manager at Propertymark commented: “Yet again we see the exceptional circumstances brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic used to engineer a change to legislation that is neither based on robust evidence nor supported by the sector.
“Whilst ensuring there is adequate security of tenure for tenants, there also has to be balance with appropriate and comprehensive methods for landlords to recover their property to ensure they are not deterred from investing in the private rented sector, not exemptions hastily introduced as an afterthought.
“The Private Tenancies Bill has the potential to improve much-needed housing safety and standards but sustaining supply must also be an objective and the notice to quit arrangements have the real potential to constrain it if they are not reconsidered.”
Comments (2)
Devolution had already set in motion changes to PRS long before the Covid 19 Pandemic came along. What are Propertymark talking about, have they had their head in the sand for this long, rather worrying?
Of course next they will be asking landlords in the PRS to help house people. Who could blame landlords for telling these officials where to go?