AQW 1727/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 17/06/2022
Answered On Date: 17/08/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail what plans she has to introduce price caps for rental properties.

Answer:

I have stated my intentions to make renting in the private rented sector fair and affordable for tenants. The first stage in addressing the issue of affordability was the introduction of the Private Tenancies 2022 which introduced a restriction on the frequency of rent increases and limited the amount of a deposit which a landlord can charge. In addition the Act introduced powers to bring forward regulations to decrease rents by up to 10% and freeze those lowered rents for up to 4 years. The Act commits the Department to carrying out a consultation on whether it should exercise these powers and to lay the resulting report before the Assembly by 27 October 2022.

This consultation work was commissioned to the Chartered Institute of Housing in June 2022.