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05 Nov 2025

Hunter: Executive must address impact of holiday homes and short-term lets

SDLP East Derry MLA Cara Hunter has said the Executive must bring forward proposals to address the impact of holiday homes and short-term lets.

Hunter: Executive must address impact of holiday homes and short-term lets

SDLP MLA Cara Hunter.

Reporter:

Staff Reporter

05 Nov 2025 1:00 PM

Email:

news@derrynow.com

SDLP East Derry MLA Cara Hunter has said the Executive must bring forward proposals to address the impact of holiday homes and short-term lets.
Ms Hunter brought a motion to the Assembly on Tuesday highlighting the problems in rural and costal communities across the North.
MLAs acknowledged the negative impact and resolved to support an Executive intervention.  
East Derry MLA Cara Hunter said:
“The proliferation of holiday homes and short-term lets in rural and coastal communities across the North is having a real negative impact. We are seeing house prices and rents rise to unsustainable levels, with people being forced out of the area they grew up in. This is destroying the fabric of our communities.
“We are seeing situations where these properties lie empty for large portions of the year, with significant knock-on impacts on businesses who rely on the local community. to survive. It is no exaggeration that outside of peak times we are seeing some areas reduced to ghost towns.
“The Executive must urgently intervene on this issue and I welcome the backing of MLAs. We are in the midst of a housing crisis, people face years on social housing waiting lists and we cannot allow significant portions of our housing stock to lie empty most of the year. There must be regulation of this industry so that nobody is forced out of their local community and so that rural and coastal communities have the opportunity to thrive.”

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