A report published by Radius Housing has identified failures in the private rental market as a major factor in the riots that occurred in Ballymena in June 2025, which resulted in the departure of three-quarters of the town's Roma population.

The report, which draws on testimony from two forums of residents, community leaders, minority groups, and voluntary and public bodies, notes that many victims' voices are absent because one-third of the Roma population left Northern Ireland altogether, according to a survey by Ballymena's Inter Ethnic Forum.

At the time of the riots, Ballymena was home to approximately 1,200 Roma, representing about 4 percent of the town's population and half of Northern Ireland's Roma population. Many lived in Victorian terraced streets in a small area of the town centre.

The riots were triggered by the arrest of two teenagers over an alleged sexual assault, but charges were later withdrawn. The report states that long-term residents had observed rising tensions for years due to overcrowding, rubbish, neglect, crowds loitering, fighting, and intimidation.

The report says absentee landlords bought house after house, with multiple families living at some addresses and properties falling into disrepair. Residents and community workers repeatedly warned statutory agencies of these issues without intervention. One resident remortgaged his own home to buy a neighbouring property to prevent a landlord from purchasing it.

The report notes that Stormont regulates the private rental market, with most enforcement delegated to councils. Councils have complained of a lack of power over planning and Houses of Multiple Occupation, but they rarely use other relevant powers over building standards, safety, and environmental health. Councils are also responsible for street cleansing and rubbish collection but rarely upgrade services for overcrowding, and noise abatement is another neglected duty.

The report says residents complained of landlords profiting from a system with little enforcement or inspection. It also identifies causes beyond housing, including social media disinformation and lack of political leadership, but ties these back to disinformation and lack of leadership on housing.

The report recommends reforming the private rental sector, improving communication between communities, and establishing a tension monitoring system. It notes that since 2021, EU citizens have been largely barred from social housing, forcing them into the private rental market, which has worsened perceptions of Roma taking housing.

The report states that responsible landlords were threatened simply for renting to immigrants, and it warns against demonising landlords, as they remain essential and their businesses must be viable.