Private Tenancies Bill in Northern Ireland receives Royal Assent

New notice to quit periods are now effective for landlords and letting agents in Northern Ireland as the Private Tenancies Bill received Royal Assent, creating the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.  

Northern Ireland Assembly, Resized.jpg

Although the Act, effective from 5 May 2022, brings with it many potential adjustments to the PRS in Northern Ireland the only immediate changes to be aware of are the variations to the notice periods that landlords or tenants must give to end the tenancy.

Landlords must provide tenants with the following notice:

  • 4 weeks if the tenancy has not been in existence for more than 12 months
  • 8 weeks if the tenancy has been in existence for more than 12 months but not for more than 10 years
  • 12 weeks if the tenancy has been in existence for more than 10 years

Tenants must provide landlords with written notice of:

  • 4 weeks if the tenancy has not been in existence for more than 10 years
  • 12 weeks if the tenancy has been in existence for more than 10 years

Other aspects of the Act such as:

  • Electrical safety standards
  • Fire, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
  • Energy Efficiency Regulations
  • Prescribed information to be provided to tenants
  • Amendments to recovering possession

will be introduced after the Department for Communities has engaged and consulted with relevant stakeholders and had the opportunity to prepare the required prescribed documents.

Propertymark webinar

Daryl McIntosh, Propertymark Policy Manager, will be running a webinar on 10 May at 12:30 pm to provide an update and answer any questions.