To ask the Minister for Communities (i) to detail the steps she has taken to ensure greater security for private tenants in rental contracts; and (ii) for her assessment of the pressures on the private rental market in areas where there is a large tourism market, such as parts of East Londonderry.

The Private Tenancies Act 2022 will make the private rented sector a safer and more secure housing option for people living in it. The Act increases the Notice to Quit (NTQ) periods Landlords must provide to tenants which will increase further in the longer term once regulations regarding exceptions have been considered.

Policy responsibility for short term tourist accommodation lies with the Department for Economy with holiday lets regulated by Tourism NI subject to licensing requirements. Housing need and demand models, across all tenures, take into account the demand for such accommodation.

The need for improved housing related data collection and analysis forms part of ongoing work on my Department’s Housing Supply Strategy. In this context, it is worth highlighting that the Housing Executive is already proposing to conduct research in the near future which will aim to assess effect of holiday homes and short term lets on the homes in the housing market.