Plans for fairer rent and tenant protection in Jersey published

Plans to improve Jersey's rental market and help tenants has been published by the Minister for Housing and Communities.

The Fair Rents Plan will widen access to the Affordable Housing Gateway, reduce the current entry age for applicants without children, and ensure income limits better reflect the household.

Deputy Russell Labey has published the plans to improve Jersey's rental market, with the aim of providing more support for islanders.

The targeted policies will reinstate the Rent Control Tribunal in 2022. This will give private sector tenants the opportunity to appeal to an independent body if they believe their rent is excessive.

But the release of housing plans has not been welcomed by all Ministers, with Senator Sam Mezec saying it is not enough.

Senator Mezec continued to welcome the announcement of a Rent Control Tribunal but has said it "fails to provide any extra detail on enhancing security of tenure for tenants and does not commit to putting rent stabilisation in legislation."

The Fair Rents Plan also outlines how the Government of Jersey and Andium will manage the new social rents policy.

The social rents policy was recently agreed by the States Assembly and will see rents capped at a maximum of 80 percent of the market rate.

The publication of the Fair Rents Plan fulfils another of the commitments made in the Minister’s Creating Better Homes Action Plan, published in June 2021.