Housing minister compromises on rent cap increase

Deputy Sam Mézec said he would accept an amendment to his rental tenancy reforms

Jersey's housing minister has said he will drop his plan for a 5% rent cap increase after agreeing to accept an amendment.

Deputy Sam Mézec is proposing a series of reforms to the island's rental tenancy law including limited use of fixed-term tenancies and shorter notice periods for bad tenants.

The reforms were initially discussed in the States Assembly in July but politicians voted to delay the debate so that the housing scrutiny panel could prepare a report and amendments.

The housing minister said his decision to accept Deputy Renouf's amendment to remove the 5% rent cap increase was "a compromise to move forward".

In his proposals Deputy Mézec had included plans to limit rent increases to the rate of 5% or inflation, whichever was the lower.

This particular proposal received strong opposition from other politicians and the Jersey Landlord Association (JLA).

Since politicians voted to delay the debate from July to September, a series of amendments have been put forward, including one from Deputy Jonathan Renouf which would remove the 5% rent cap increase.

Revenge evictions

The housing minister said: "As a compromise to move forward that's ok because we are in a period now where inflation is not predicted to go above 5% anytime soon."

The Retail Prices Index (RPI) for June 2025 said the annual figure was 2.6%, compared to the previous three months when it stood at 2.3%.

When asked if he had taken a step backwards by agreeing to accept the amendment, Mézec said: "No I don't believe so.

"We are not anywhere near to 5% inflation anytime soon.

"The real highlight was the RPI version of the cap - that is going to be a day-to-day benefit for tenants that doesn't exist now that will [exist] under this law.

"The other flagship part of it was the ban on revenge evictions which means tenants will be empowered to stand up for themselves when things are going wrong and those are things I'm not compromising on because they are desperately needed."