Tenants should get more eviction notice - deputy

Deputy Sam Mezec said long-term tenants should be given more time to arrange to move

People who have rented their homes in Jersey for a long period of time should be given more notice if asked to leave, a deputy has said.

Deputy Sam Mezec, Minister for Housing, told the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel he would like to protect both tenants and landlords under a proposed residential tenancy law.

But the panel said it was "concerned about the lack of detail" in his proposed plans for the termination of tenancies - including notice periods and how rent rises would be capped.

Mr Mezec said people with a deep-rooted history in a rented home should be given more time to arrange to move.

He said: "I think that if you have lived somewhere for a long time in a rental home that has become the place you've brought your children up, the place you have all of your caring responsibilities dealt with, the neighbourhood you're involved in... the notice period that's offered to you should be commensurate to how long that you've lived in that property."

'Details missing'

Mr Mezec also spoke about feedback to the First Step scheme for first-time buyers.

Deputy Alex Curtis, panel member, said he was "pleased to hear positive results" from the scheme.

However, he said he was still concerned about future proposals.

"While the minister clearly stated his priority is 'how we do housing' referring to law and regulatory changes, we did note that there is still detail missing from his plans for a Residential Tenancy Law, which is likely to create concern and confusion for stakeholders," he said.

"In addition, the panel looks forward to seeing how housing priorities are represented in the upcoming Government Plan, as Deputy Mezec said there are no big-ticket items from his department likely to be included."