States reject stricter rules for Jersey landlords

Deputy David Warr urged politicians to reject the proposals while a public consultation was under way into his plans to reform the island's residential tenancy law

An attempt to introduce new rules for landlords who want to increase their tenants' rents has been rejected by Jersey's States Assembly.

Politicians also voted against making open-ended rather than fixed-term contracts - the default form of tenancy agreement in the island.

The Assembly did agree that an independent body should be set up to rule on rental disputes.

A public consultation is under way on updating the residential tenancy law.

The Housing Minister Deputy David Warr urged politicians to reject the proposals during the public consultation into his recently published plans to reform the law.

'Catastrophe for renters'

Deputy Sam Mezec, proposer of the new rules, wanted the States Assembly to agree that rents should be increased no more than once a year, and that landlords should give their tenants at least three months of notice before asking them to pay more.

He also argued:

• Any rent rise should be capped by a measure of affordability (e.g. average inflation over the preceding three years) to be determined by the Housing Minister

• No-fault evictions should be abolished, while open-ended tenancies should become the default tenure

• Tenants should be given a longer period of eviction notice, based on how long they have lived in the property

"Whilst some may make ideologically motivated critiques of rent control in the absence of evidence to support their positions, anyone taking an objective view of Jersey's rental market cannot honestly conclude that our system of a lack of any rent regulation has been anything other than a catastrophe for renters and is having a harmful macroeconomic impact on the whole island," he said.

Mr Warr told the Assembly that he was in "broad support of this proposition and its intent".

"To accept the deputy's proposition now takes away the public's opportunity to meaningfully contribute to these vital changes to residential tenancy legislation," he said.

"The stakes are simply too high to get this wrong."

While most of Mr Mezec's proposition was rejected, the States Assembly supported his calls for an independent body, such as a Rent Tribunal or Housing Commission, to be established to adjudicate on disputes involving landlords and tenants.

Mr Warr has said that following consultation, changes to Jersey's residential tenancy law will be debated by politicians in "spring 2024".

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