More rights and better protection for renters

Friday 31 July 2015

Huge reforms to protect people who rent their homes including a safe deposit scheme, minimum legal standards and a landlord accreditation scheme will take place over the next few years.

The ministers for housing and health have committed to an ambitious programme that would see big changes for the estimated 47% of Islanders who rent their homes.

That programme could also include “security of tenure” legislation that would protect tenants from big rent hikes and a licensing scheme for owners of homes rented out to more than one tenant.

Health Minister Andrew Green said: “Housing can make a significant contribution towards people’s health and well-being, so we need to do what we can to improve the standard of housing in Jersey.

“We want both landlords and tenants to know the standards a home should meet before it can be rented out, and to understand how it should be maintained.

“I’m confident that with a new law to establish minimum standards, plus additional measures being worked on by Environmental Health and the Strategic Housing Unit, we can ensure the rental sector makes a full contribution to meeting the Island’s housing needs; to meeting Island residents’ health needs; and to achieving our wider social aims.”

The plan includes:

• A scheme to manage tenant deposits that will be launched this autumn.
• A new law regulating social housing providers to be published this autumn.
• Minimum legal standards for accommodation with 12 months.
• A voluntary accreditation scheme for landlords to launch this year.

Housing Minister Anne Pryke said that recent changes demanding condition reports on properties, a law barring landlords from charging more than the market rent for utilities and a proper legal framework for both tenants and landlords had improved housing regulation in recent years.

But she said that ministers wanted to go further.

Deputy Pryke said: “It is important to encourage a strong and professional rental sector which provides affordable, good standard, secure accommodation for tenants, where both landlords and tenants understand their rights and responsibilities.

“The rental sector has been hugely improved in the last few years, with better security of tenure for all tenants. However there’s still work to do to strengthen areas where there is not enough legal protection and to eliminate duplication. We want to create a more streamlined and modern rental sector.”