There’s a bid underway to boost the legal rights for both landlords and tenants on the island of Guernsey.
The island’s Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure has launched a consultation on proposals to introduce ‘rights and obligations’ for private rental sector landlords and tenants.
Currently neither has many legal rights and protections when a problem arises, such as if a landlord evicts a tenant at very short notice, or if a tenant leaves a property in poor condition or without paying rent.
So the committee has developed proposals for a set of rights and obligations based on a review of similar jurisdictions and using the existing guidance published by the Guernsey Private Residential Landlords Association.
However, the committee is keen to ensure that the views of landlords, agents, tenants and other members of the public are considered through this survey before any legislation is drafted.
This is the latest piece of work being progressed as part of the Guernsey Housing Plan, Guernsey’s prioritised plan of action to tackle what the island’s politicians call its “significant housing pressures” and follows on from a previous consultation on housing standards which took place earlier this year.
This work focuses on the rights and obligations of tenants and landlords in the private rental sector, but consideration will be given to how the requirements might apply to social rental and other forms of Affordable Housing in a second phase of work.
A committee spokesperson says: “Even though the private rental market accounts for more than a quarter of all Guernsey housing, it is currently unregulated. This means that when something goes wrong in a tenancy, there is no protection for landlords or tenants.
“I know from personal experience how difficult it can be as a tenant to be evicted without notice, for example, but I’m also well aware that landlords can be placed in difficult situations by some tenants. So, this is about making sure that the right protections are in place for both parties. We know that most landlords and tenants are good, but there need to be protections in place for when things go wrong, which inevitably happens from time to time.
“While encouraging the market to provide more new homes is a really important priority – one that we’re progressing at pace – it’s also important that we don’t neglect the needs of people living in existing housing. Accommodation in the private rental sector needs to work well for landlords and tenants alike, so that the sector can provide choice, quality and security.
“We really want to hear from as many people as possible to make sure that the protections we put in place are sufficient and proportionate for Guernsey.”
As the survey is quite technical, there is a guidance document which should be read alongside the survey” www.gov.gg/PRSRightsSurvey. The survey will close on Sunday February 2.
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This article is taken from Landlord Today