Permitted development rights were introduced in 2015 through the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 that allowed homeowners to make changes to their property without requiring planning permission which was seen as a barrier to making home improvements.
Renewable energy
The changes come when energy efficiency requirements for rented properties are considered part of the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. It is hoped the relaxation will encourage more homeowners and landlords to retrofit their homes with renewable energy sources.
However, certain conditions must be met, including limitations on the number of heat pumps built and restrictions on where they can be built on the property.
The Department for Infrastructure made the announcement following a consultation in October 2022, and the Order is expected to come into operation on 4 July 2023.
View the full details and restrictions of the Order →
Retrofitting properties
Meeting Net Zero requirements is one of the significant concerns that Propertymark members and their clients face, and whilst there are no such requirements currently for rented properties, the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 is expected to establish targets over the next couple of years.
With the new Order, making it easier to meet these targets is therefore very welcome especially since the value of homes in Northern Ireland tends to be lower than the rest of the UK, meaning costs of retrofit are higher compared to property values.
It is good to see steps being taken to encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources within our homes. While this is a positive step, our members report that the main barrier to retrofitting homes, particularly for renewable energy sources, continues to be installation costs. We hope that the Department for Infrastructure will work closely with the Department for Communities to address this barrier if they have any hope of wide-scale adoption of energy efficiency measures.
