Bill to overhaul housing legislation
Social landlords in Northern Ireland could bulk buy energy on behalf of their tenants under proposed changes to housing legislation.
Social development minister Margaret Ritchie launched a consultation on amendments to the Housing Bill on Tuesday.
The new measures aim to bring legislation in line with the rest of the United Kingdom. They also suggest a number of changes for the private rented sector including a landlord accreditation scheme and rent deposit schemes.
Giving providers legal powers to bulk purchase energy would not only tackle fuel poverty, but could also encourage more energy providers to enter the domestic market, the document states.
The reforms could also see tenants who commit anti-social behaviour losing their security of tenure. They would enable the courts to grant ‘demotion orders’ in cases where landlords did not want to evict the tenant immediately.
The document says: ‘This would give such tenants an opportunity, and incentive, to modify their behaviour.’
Ms Ritchie said: ‘Many of [my] successes have been achieved using the existing body of housing law. However, even more can be done by changing the law in key areas.’
Grainia Long, director of the Chartered Institute of Housing in Northern Ireland, welcomed the proposals, but said: ‘The publication of this consultation presupposed the final private sector strategy that was due for publication before the end of the year.
‘Discharging homelessness duty in the private rented sector requires a healthy sector with robust regulatory and enforcement measures and these must be clearly laid out in a private sector strategy.’
The consultation runs until 26 February 2010.
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