She was responding to comments made by the Chair of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
She said: "We totally lag behind other countries on renters rights. Renters are expected to put up with extortionate rents, evictions at the drop of the hat and many can't make the place feel like a home.
"As a nation we need to change how we think about renting. Yesterday's report published by Threshold shows that one in five households are renting now, compared with one in 10 in the 1990s. In recognition of the changes in the market, Labour published a bill to increase renters’ rights. The balance of power in the rental market is heavily weighted towards landlords. They control price, security of tenure, whether or not you can have a pet, where you hang your washing, even the furnishings of your home.
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"Affordable rents are just non-existent in this country and so many renters are running to stand still. Renters are crippled because there is not enough rental accommodation to deal with the demand, meanwhile, Government is still falling behind on all targets set out in Housing for All, including cost-rental homes.
"We all know that investment fund landlords are arm's length landlords. We in Labour believe that all landlords should provide all renters greater security of tenure. The security of keeping a roof over your head simply can’t be linked to your ability to pay above and beyond the odds."
