The Department for Communities has published the Summary Report relating to the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.
The Act was introduced to continue to improve the private rented sector by creating a safer and more secure environment for tenants. Section 8 of the Act enables the Department to make Regulations to specify the minimum standards for the deployment of smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide alarms.
A 12-week stakeholder online consultation ran from 13 September 2023 to 6 December 2023, on the content of the new Regulations and the associated guidance notes. It was a targeted consultation focused on engaging and obtaining the views of tenants, landlords, electricians, Council enforcement officers, and professional bodies/representatives in order to ensure the Regulations were fit for purpose, deliverable, and easy to understand. This online consultation was supplemented by targeted stakeholder forums. More detail about the consultation and subsequent analysis approach is provided within the published Summary Report.
Summary Report: Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, Section 8: The Smoke, Heat and Carbon Monoxide Alarms for Private Tenancies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024