**New Blog** Today's blog outlines Renters' Voice view on the rise of illegal letting fees and how other groups such as Croí for Change are raising concerns. We believe the law surrounding letting fees must be clearer, more robust, and enforced. www.housingrights.org.uk/professional...

“Overtime [pay] used to be for treats,” says Millar, who works with homelessness people and advocacy group @rentersvoice.bsky.social “Now it’s normal just so I can pay the rent.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

*NEW BLOG POST* The Renters’ Rights Act does not apply to Northern Ireland, but in our latest Renter' Voice blog post we explore its changes & what we believe should be considered to strengthen the protection of private renters in NI.  www.housingrights.org.uk/professional...

Renters' Voice hoping everyone stays safe during Storm Bram. Whether you're a Renter, social tenant or a home owner be careful. We've gathered some useful numbers below but for further information please check the Met Office website ow.ly/g57w50XG9Xy

📅1 December marks the start of Homelessness Awareness Week 2025 At Housing Rights, we strengthen the safety nets to keep people in their homes through our advocacy and casework teams, legal team, and Beyond the Gate project. #SeeThePerson

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

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

🛠 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 📋

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 ✅

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...

"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 👇

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.

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

‼️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 👇

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

Banning 'no-fault' evictions is not only about giving renters much-needed security and stability; it is also about preventing homelessness. #housingcrisis #homelessnessprevention #evictions #tenantrights #northernireland

No-fault #evictions impact many aspects of people's lives - like health, finances & education. They also often lead to #homelessness. In 2024, 3 of our members were evicted through no fault of their own, with one member now living in #temporaryaccommodation. This needs to stop 🚫 #housingcrisis

🧵 1/3 We carried out a 'mystery shopper' exercise on letting agents last year 🕵️‍♀️ & were told by many agents that the letting fees were to cover admin costs or the staff time spent checking documents. 1 agent justified the fee by saying "We can’t work for free" - these fees are illegal 🚫

"Buy-to-let businesses have become the largest single type of business in the UK – with nearly four times as there are fast food takeaways or hairdressers." With letting businesses at an all time high, regulation in the sector has never been more important!

🧵1/4 Elaine is a long-term renter & member of Renters’ Voice. A few years ago, Elaine applied for Housing Benefit but was not notified that her application was successful ✉ After struggling to afford her rent for a few months, she fell into 1 month of arrears & was issued with a NTQ 👉

'Home' has massively changed for people in the last 30 years. More people than ever call the private rented sector home, while fewer people can access social housing. Most of our members are on the waiting list, but many will likely never access social housing due to the lack of supply.

🧵 1/4 Rachel is a long-term renter and member of Renters’ Voice. Due to a broken boiler, she spent most of 2024 without heating or hot water in her home ⚠️

Delighted to hear this! We have been campaigning for the government to explore alternative affordable housing initiatives. Look forward to seeing how this progresses 👀👀

Demand in the PRS has significantly increased over the last few yrs. This means #landlords have their 'pick' of #tenants, leaving those without guarantors or on low-incomes at risk of #homelessness. Would you like to be competing against 45 other households for a home? 🏡

The law is changing around rent increases in the private rented sector. From 1st April 2025, Landlords can only increase rents once in any 12-month period and must give a 3-month written notice. For more information please contact @housingrightsni.bsky.social on 028 90 245640 📞

❕Invisible barriers❕ On top of direct prohibitions, families with children are vulnerable to covert strategies used to exclude particular groups. Families with children are twice as likely to be unable to rent somewhere because they can’t find a guarantor, compared to renters without children.

"This leads to landlords rejecting the tenancy applications from those on lower incomes; Shelter's research found that tenants on housing benefits were four times more likely to be turned down for private rentals because they could not find a guarantor, compared to those not on housing benefit."

Guarantor requirements can result in people losing out on homes, particularly marginalised people. “I was met with this kind of ‘computer says no'- we don’t expect you to rent privately, we expect you to move into council housing or supported accommodation.”

🧵 1/4 Amelie is a member of Renters’ Voice. Amelie has lived in Northern Ireland since she moved here for university several years ago 👩‍🎓 Amelie experienced great difficulty accessing a home here, as most letting agents she contacted required her to have an NI homeowner as a guarantor.

We meet regularly to discuss issues we want to tackle. Making renting affordable is just one of these issues. To find out more or get involved, send us a message! 📩 #rentersrights #affordablehousing #rentcontrol #housingcrisis #belfast #northernireland

In his op-ed, Tom Darling, director of the Renters' Reform Coalition, challenges landlords' backlash against the Renters' Rights Bill and argues fewer landlords could be a good thing for renters. @rentersreformco.bsky.social leftfootforward.org/2025/02/the-...

Many of our members live alone or are single parents. This means they must cover the cost of #risingrents with one income. Would you be able to afford these rents?👀

Very interesting read 👀 "This first generation of ‘hard’ rent controls played a role in the decline of PRS housing, which in turn was one of the crucial factors that pushed states towards direct public provision of rental housing, i.e., social or public housing" #moresocialhomes #rentcontrol

"According to the think tank, private renters are on average paying three times as much as mortgagors for the same amount of housing" ‼️ We need #affordablehousing now ‼️ #housingcrisis #risingrents #rentcontrol #poverty #homelessnessprevention #northernielandhomes #privaterentedsector

In our #nofaulteviction survey, nearly 1/2 of respondents became homeless after the eviction. Most respondents struggled to find a new home because of 'high rents' 💰This is unsurprising given the average rent in #Belfast now is over £1100. #affordablehousing #rentcontrol #homelessnessprevention

🧵 1/4 Robert is a long-term renter and a member of Renters’ Voice. Robert and his family have been on the social housing waiting list for 13 years 📆 Robert is a father of two children, one of whom lives with severe disabilities.

A great Friday afternoon spent eating 🍝 debating 💬 and catching up with other RV members ☕️ Online meetings are convenient, but connection & solidarity are strengthened by days like today 💯

We meet regularly to discuss the issues we want to tackle📢 Making homes warmer is just one of these issues. If you privately rent your home & want to find out more or get involved send us a message!📩 #rentersrights #privaterentedsector #NorthernIreland

🧵 1/3 Most of our member’s first choice of housing would be social housing. Unfortunately, due to the lack of supply, it is likely that they may never access it, therefore missing out on the many protections it offers.

Mouldy homes are affecting renter's health & we need the government to change this now by legislating for higher standards. Would recommend watching this Panorama episode 👇 #EnergyEfficiency #privaterentedsector #mouldyhomes #damp #fuelpoverty #GovernmentActionNeeded

Low-quality homes, which are costly to heat, are impacting the health and well-being of our members. We want to see the government deliver higher EPC ratings and increased support for people experiencing fuel poverty. #energyefficiency #energyefficienthomes #GovernmentActionNeeded #WarmerHomes