An independent housing panel to deal with disputes between private tenants and landlords has been mooted for Northern Ireland.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), which supports the proposals, said it “could help keep disputes out of the courts”.

Nicola McCrudden, CIH Northern Ireland’s director, said: “More people continue to live in privately rented homes – whether by choice or necessity, it’s vital to focus on making conditions better for both tenants and landlords.

“We are particularly pleased to see proposals around dealing with tenant-landlord disputes through an independent housing panel. Such disagreements don’t belong in a court system which is not accessible for many tenants and landlords. A low-cost dispute resolution panel could help keep disputes out of the courts.”

The Department of Communities is consulting on the proposals until Monday 3 April 2017.