TENANTS in a St Saviour housing block have been given three months to find new homes after being told just before Christmas that their properties were being sold.
Up to 38 residents at Spencer Close in St Saviour received letters dated 23 December telling them that the estate was being sold due to ‘increased regulatory burdens on landlords’.
Ross Sale, one of the residents, said the letter put a ‘massive dampener on Christmas’.
He added: ‘I moved into Spencer Close with my mum once my dad died. However, my mum has been there 42 years and I think she sees the place as the last bit of dad.
‘Some of the tenants have lived in Spencer Close for over 40 years and to give them a letter on Christmas Eve to say they have three months to get out is really upsetting for a lot of them.
‘No one seems to know what is going on and it is difficult because we all know that housing is in short supply and many of us could struggle to find somewhere new to live.’
Fellow resident Carine Le Barbier, who has lived at Spencer Close for over five years, said she was ‘shocked’ to receive the letter when she returned home from France after Christmas.
‘I have always rented and I am really worried that I will not be able to find a new place. The prices are huge and it is a really scary thought. If I had this same situation 20 years ago I may have been able to find a new place in two weeks, but in the current market it is going to be a lot more difficult,’ she said.
‘My lease ran out on 4 October but I never received paperwork to extend it and so I knew something was up. To send a letter at Christmas time is awful,’ she added.
Senator Sam Mézec visited the tenants earlier this week to advise them on their next steps and is hoping to arrange a meeting for them at the start of next year.
He said: ‘The way the situation has been handled is heartless. There are people who have lived there for most of their lives, which are now going to be turned upside down in a matter of months.’ He added: ‘The law needs to be updated to give greater protection to residents who have lived there for a number of years. To give someone who has lived there for 40 years three months’ notice is pretty measly.’
The JEP contacted the agency which owns Spencer Close but was told they did not wish to comment on the matter.
