An MP has called on the Minister for Social Development to consider the
introduction of a licensing scheme for private sector landlords who operate in
Northern Ireland, during a parliamentary session this week.
Gregory Campbell, MP for the Democratic Unionist
Party, tabled a motion to ask the minister to consider the scheme due to the
changing nature of housing stock in Northern Ireland as a result of the
economic downturn and banking difficulties.
Campbell
said the resulting expansion of the private sector and the “accidental
landlord” factor, whereby individuals come by properties they do intend to live
in, meant landlords should not only be registered but a licensing scheme should
be introduced.
He
said: “I know that the minister has done some considerable work on the
registration process. However as that develops through the year, we would like
him to give consideration to a licensing scheme beyond that.”
Nelson
McCausland, the Minister for Social Development in the Northern Irish
government, said the landlord registration scheme was on track to be ready by
the summer and a licensing scheme was a natural progression.
All
landlords operating in Northern Ireland will be required to register as soon as
a new tenancy is created and within 12 months if they have existing tenancies.
When
the landlord registration regulations were proceeding through the Assembly it
was specified that a register of landlords was the first step to making
improvements in the sector.
McCausland said private rented sector licensing is how
local authorities in England are seeking to improve the regulation of their
private rented sectors.
English
authorities are using powers in the Housing Act 2004 to ensure that rogue
landlords are unable to operate while Scotland already has compulsory landlord
registration and Wales is currently working on its own scheme.
A
licence is issued only where landlords declare any criminal convictions, meet
health and safety standards and have adequate systems in place for their
tenants to report repairs and defects.
Landlords
without a licence may be prosecuted and may no longer be able to operate their
businesses.
He
added: “If we decide that licensing is the next step for the private rented
sector new legislation will be required.
“Members
may be interested to learn that I am already considering the benefits of
requiring landlords of houses in multiple occupation to have a licence before
they may operate and that too would require new legislation and the support of
the Assembly.”
