Deirdre Hargey

The Department for Communities is consulting on the notice to quit period while the Private Tenancies Bill 2021 makes its way through the Assembly.

The bill, as currently drafted, will change the notice to quit period to four weeks for tenancies less than 12 months, eight weeks for tenancies more than 12 months but less than 10 years, and 12 weeks for tenancies more than 10 years.

The consultation document proposes three options regarding notice to quit periods for tenancies longer than 12 months: eight weeks’ notice, as currently laid out in the bill; 12 weeks, as currently exists under Covid-19 emergency legislation; and 26 weeks.

“[Communities minister Deirdre Hargey] has made it clear that she thinks eight weeks’ notice is still too short a time for a tenant to be asked to leave their home, find a suitable new house that they can afford, maybe find a new school and childcare for their children and pack up all their belongings,” the document states.

Mrs Hargey said: “The private rented sector is home to twice as many families with children than social housing. Under current legislation private renters can be asked to leave their home at short notice with little or no time to find suitable, affordable accommodation. I want to change that and protect renters, that’s why I am currently progressing a bill through the Assembly to increase protections.”

She said the consultation, which will run until 25 January 2022, “will inform the current bill as it progresses and any future use of the powers the bill contains to lengthen notice periods”.