All private tenants have some basic legal rights. Protected tenants have more rights than other tenants, but there are very few protected tenants in Northern Ireland.
Tenants who moved into their properties after 1 April 2007 have a few extra rights that tenants who've been living in their homes from before this date won't normally have. This includes a right to a minimum tenancy term of six months, unless a shorter term has been agreed in the written contract, and a right to have the landlord be responsible for certain repairs.