A MAJOR overhaul of Jersey’s rental tenancy legislation implemented earlier this year should be given time to “bed in”, according to the new Housing Minister – who said he does not have plans to make any “knee-jerk” alterations to it.
Deputy Malcolm Ferey also acknowledged comments made by Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham, when the Senator told Members that he “would not support any changes” to the Residential Tenancy (Jersey) Amendment Law 2025.
Introduced by previous Housing Minister Sam Mézec, who lost his seat in the election last month, the legislation came into force in April.
It includes restrictions on rent increases, which can now only be implemented once per year and with two months’ notice. The increases can be no more than Jersey’s rate of inflation, unless the rent has been “significantly below” market rent or the property has been improved to the tenant’s benefit.
Tenants can also challenge unfair rent hikes through a new rent tribunal, and periodic tenancies – those with no fixed end date – are intended to be the default under the new rules.
Reform Jersey Deputy Lee Carpenter recently asked Senator Farnham to confirm whether his government would “continue to support the Residential Tenancy Law, ensuring those renting will continue to experience far greater predictability and far lower volatility when it comes to rent increases”.
The Chief Minister answered: “I certainly support the Residential Tenancy Law and I would not support any changes to it, either strengthening it or weakening it in any way.”
Senator Farnham added: “I think what we have got now is about right and we need to give that time to bed in.”
Speaking to the JEP last week, Deputy Ferey said: “It was a democratic decision of the Assembly to bring that legislation in.
“My approach to it softened once scrutiny had done their work on it and smoothed off some of the rough edges, so I was more content with the final legislation as it went through the Assembly.”
He noted that any new legislation must be kept under review, but also acknowledged that the Chief Minister “did not want to see any immediate changes” to the updated law.
“What I do want to do, though, is to reboot the relationship with landlords because a large part of rented accommodation is in private hands,” Deputy Ferey continued.
“That can vary from someone having a property that they bought to supplement their retirement income, all the way through to semi-professional but private landlords.
“That housing stock is a really important part of the market that we need to make sure that we nurture and respect.”
Deputy Ferey contended that “we need to allow the changes to bed in”, while continuing to work with landlords and educate Islanders about the new legislation.
“We also need to keep a watching brief to see if there are pinch points going forward, then how we can help to alleviate those,” he added.
But Deputy Ferey stressed that he did not have any “knee-jerk” alterations planned in the short-term, describing the law as a decision of the Assembly “which I have to get behind”.
