DOZENS of Islanders have put themselves forward to serve on Jersey’s new rent tribunal.
Housing Minister Sam Mézec has provided an update on the recruitment process for the tribunal, which will consider and determine residential tenancy rent increase appeals under the Residential Tenancy (Jersey) Law 2011 – as amended by the Residential Tenancy (Jersey) Amendment Law 2025 approved by the States Assembly in September.
In a call for applicants last month, the minister encouraged landlords, tenants and Islanders with consumer affairs experience to apply to serve as members of the panel, or as its chair or deputy chair.
During a hearing with the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel yesterday afternoon, he revealed that 27 applications had been received.
Deputy Mézec said: “I had a meeting earlier today with those who’d been on the interview panels for that, who have put a recommendation to me for how to progress with appointments there.”
He added that he was “very pleased with how that’s been handled” and “pleasantly surprised” by the number of applications received.
“It was one of those things in the back of my head – what if no one wants to do the job? That would be difficult and awkward for us,” he continued.
“But that’s not been the case and, my initial perception from those that have applied, is that it was a really good mix and really good standard.”
Deputy Mézec told the panel that he hoped to be in a position to ask the States Assembly to appoint members of the tribunal “very soon”.
“I’ve got only just over a week to actually lodge that proposition, but I’m confident we’ll be in that position to do that.”
As well as including provision for a rent tribunal, the Residential Tenancy Law also gave tenants a number of new rights – including capping rent rises at RPI.
