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A Senator has put forward a plan to get all landlords to sign up to a rating system measuring the standard of their accommodation.
Senator Kristina Moore wants it to be made mandatory for landlords to sign up to the ‘Rent Safe’ scheme.
The scheme, which is currently voluntary and with 2,115 units of accommodation registered, gives a tenants a list of landlords that have reached 'accredited status' under its standards, and an overview of properties which have reached 3, 4 or 5 stars.
Landlords who have a 0, 1, or 2 star rating do not currently appear on the Rent Safe register.
Pictured: Senator Kristina Moore said her proposal was about "taking a small, easy step forward in order to maintain acceptable standards in rental accommodation."
The minimum accommodation standards are outlined as including:
If it gets approved from States Members in a vote next year, Senator Moore's proposition would also see a process created to renew Rent Safe registration, which would determine how often an inspection takes place and what it would entail.
She suggests a risk-based approach for timings, suggesting that a property rated '5' could be re-inspected after five years, while properties with lower ratings receive more regular inspections.
It follows a number of attempts to bring in stricter regulation rules for landlords, with the last crack at a landlord licensing scheme being kicked out at the time by the States Assembly by 20 votes in favour and 24 against, with four abstentions.
At the time, the Jersey Landlords Association said the scheme would simply mean more expense and "red tape" for landlords during already challenging economic circumstances, and heralded the rejection of the proposals as neither a "victory for landlords or defeat for tenants, but rather the triumph of common sense."
Former Housing Minister, Senator Sam Mézec, meanwhile, expressed his frustration at the result, stating: "I've just done the maths.
"If States Members who had declared a financial interest in the outcome of the landlord licensing debate had been required to withdraw and not take part in the debate, then the result would have been in favour.
"Vested interests win the day."
Senator Moore said in a report accompanying her proposal: "This proposition is about taking a small, easy step forward in order to maintain acceptable standards in rental accommodation.
"There is no new system – this would not require any action for all landlords.
"But it is, nevertheless, a step forward in ensuring islanders have safe and appropriate accommodation."
The idea is currently scheduled for debate in the States Chamber on 18 January.
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