It's time for an immediate cap on rents in the Private Rental Sector

18th October 2025

I recently saw a terraced house on the Springfield Rd in West Belfast being advertised for rent at £1980 per month. This is pure exploitation of the housing crisis as they the owners know that families are desperate for a home. West Belfast has the highest rates of poverty, multiple deprivations, health inequalities, housing needs and unemployment in NI and beyond. Yet, some unscrupulous landlords seek to take advantage of this situation. It is outrageous that homes are being bought up by pribate equity capitalists and local property developers, not to aid the housing crisis but to profit from it. Shame on them!

It is time the Executive introduced legislation to cap the rents in the private sector and to stop evictions because tenants cannot keep up with the outrageous rents being charged, or because the landlord can get another tenant to pay higher rent.

The Workers Party in our submission to the Programme for Government on the housing section highlighted these issues and our concerns that developers and those who invest in houses for the private rentals market do so to accumulate profits, not to contribute to the social wellbeing of those they rent to. The answer to our housing crisis must be a State Construction Company with ring fenced funding and a remit to provide good quality homes for those on waiting list and those being exploited by unscrupulous landlords.