Jersey Landlords Association battles island’s government over ‘heavy handed’ licensing proposals

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Landlords and a panel convened to scrutinise proposals to introduce rented property licensing both say it will have the opposite effect intended.

Jersey
landlords are calling on their government to rethink plans for a new licensing
system in the private rented sector.

Ministers hope to set minimum
housing standards and root out rogue landlords flouting the rules by making it
mandatory for all rental properties to sign up and pay for a licence.

This should reveal the location
of every private rented home on the island for the first time.

The Jersey Landlords Association opposes
the plan and believes Rent Safe – a voluntary scheme currently used to
encourage landlords to meet minimum standards – should be developed instead.

It also fears that more red tape
could lead to a possible homes shortage as investors quit the buy-to-let
market.

Chairman Peter Lucas tells LandlordZONE: “We want them to think again – we want to promote landlords’ good behaviour too, but they’re going about it the wrong way.

“There’s no evidence that tenants
are dissuaded from complaining for fear of revenge evictions and there’s
already considerable legislation for people to use to complain.” 

The Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny
Panel has called for more detail on the financial implications ahead of next
week’s debate in the States, and has questioned how the register would work
alongside the existing Rent Safe scheme.

Chairman, constable Mike Jackson, says: “The panel believes that on balance there are as many bad tenants as there are landlords and that the proposals as lodged are somewhat heavy handed and bureaucratic in an age when most areas of government are trying to reduce ‘red tape’.”

A Jersey Government consultation revealed that some landlords, particularly social landlords, supported the proposals. Tenants were almost unanimously in favour and although some voiced concern over the effect on rental levels, others suggested it would be worth it to ensure good property management and decent property standards.

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