Sharing our experiences
Renters’ Voice began the briefing by highlighting how the lack of social homes impacts us. One of our members spoke about how his family has been privately renting for the last 13 years while on the social housing waiting list, waiting to be allocated a secure, affordable home. Unfortunately, at the beginning of this year, our member and his family were unexpectedly issued with an eviction notice. This forced them to find a new suitable home within weeks. The sudden upheaval placed great emotional and financial stress on the entire family. Like many other renters, our member wants security for his family, yet he cannot access this protection due to a lack of supply.
Renters’ Voice also spoke about the poor standard of housing in the private sector. One of our members explained to the Committee that she has been living without heating or hot water for the last six months. This is because her landlord has failed to repair her broken boiler. Our member informed the Committee that, like many other renters, she fears retaliatory eviction and so was hesitant to report the landlord to Environmental Health in case he evicted her. Moving home is a costly experience our member wants to avoid, particularly when many letting agents still charge illegal letting fees on top of an already high rent & deposit.
Suggesting what needs to change
Through our experiences renting, Renters’ Voice knows what improvements are needed in the private rented sector. We therefore presented our top priorities for change to the Committee. Our priorities are all based on the first-hand experiences and views of private renters across Northern Ireland.
- build more social and affordable homes: many of us have been waiting for over a decade to be allocated a safe, secure, affordable home
- make renting accessible: we know that requirements such as guarantors and letting agent fees act as barriers to finding a new home for many people
- make renting affordable: ever-increasing rents mean renters are struggling to afford the necessities
- end ‘No-Fault’ Evictions: we do not have the security we need, as our homes can be taken away from us in a matter of weeks
- make homes warmer (and cheaper to heat): we want safe, fit-for-purpose homes
- update repair standards: repairs affect our quality of life, health, and well-being and add to our financial stress
- increase regulation and training for landlords and estate agents: poor landlord behaviour and letting agent practice are compromising renters' safety and well-being
As members of Renters’ Voice, we feel listened to, respected and our experiences matter. If you’d like to strengthen Renters’ Voice by joining, please get in touch: [email protected]