A former SDLP councillor in South Belfast has been censured by a standards watchdog for failing to declare his property interests.
Declan Boyle did not declare his personal interests during council meetings that discussed improvements in areas where he has properties, the Local Government Commissioner for Standards found.
It follows a lengthy probe into complaints that the landlord, who manages dozens of student lets in the Holylands area, had failed to comply with the councillors' code of conduct.
They included concerns in 2016 that Mr Boyle had not declared his interests when chairing a council committee that approved an £80,000 grant for the Holylands.
Acting commissioner Ian Gordon found "serious breaches" of the code and said that had Mr Boyle still been a serving councillor, he would have been suspended.
Mr Boyle lost his seat on Belfast City Council in the 2019 local government election.
He was among three SDLP councillors who quit the party in 2017 in a row over a council vote on abortion. All three failed to be re-elected as independents.
The watchdog adjudication hearing was held last Friday following an investigation by the Local Government Ethical Standards Directorate.
Mr Boyle acknowledged he had breached sections of the code relating to conflicts of interest.
However, he said the incidents occurred early in his role, and that he had taken advice which said that his actions would not constitute a failure to follow the code's provisions.
The acting commissioner said Mr Boyle had helped bring a complex case to a conclusion by accepting his conduct had the potential to impact on public trust and confidence.
Mr Gordon decided the breaches merited a censure, rather than disqualification for a period from being a councillor.
An important factor was the efforts to ensure the hearing was able to be conducted "fairly and efficiently", the watchdog said.
Mr Gordon said all councillors must understand the code and its guidance, and that regardless of the mitigating circumstances put forward, Mr Boyle had failed in that duty.
He also stressed that councils should ensure that elected representatives are properly trained for their role, including regular refresher sessions.
