SDLP Housing Spokesperson Mark H Durkan has said that housing guidance for private renting tenants, issued by the Department for Communities earlier, was a missed opportunity to strengthen tenure security.
Mr Durkan said while aspects of the guidance were welcome, the Department needed to take more robust steps to ensure all tenants are provided with equal protections during the Covid-19 crisis.
Said the Foyle MLA: “While I welcome the fact that guidance has been put in place for the private rental sector, the department’s guidance for students falls short and greatly so.
“I am disappointed at the Department’s failure to secure any protections for students who have rented private accommodation, which they no longer require.
“It is not good enough to advise student tenants to abide by their tenancy agreement and to liaise with their landlords.
“Anyone who has spoken with students or their parents, currently navigating this process, would know that accessing assistance from landlords or rental agencies has for the most part proven to be a fruitless endeavour.
“There is a duty of care here to protect students, many of whom have lost their jobs because of this crisis, left unable to access benefits or other forms of financial support yet they are expected to continue making hefty rent payments for empty properties.
“Intervention should also afford protection to landlords, the majority of whom are responsible, small-time landlords who are dependent on rental income.”
He added: “While efforts by the department to add a layer of protection from evictions for private tenants by extending the minimum notice period to quit from four weeks to twelve weeks is a step in the right direction, they should go much further.
“We must ensure all tenants, whether social or private, feel their tenure is now more secure than ever.
“My concern is that measures are not as robust as they need to be. The Department for Communities should not be passing the buck onto the Department for Economy here.
“We are all in this together and as such the departments should be working together to provide the best possible support for people at this challenging time.”
