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Submission received from William Sutton 25 November 2019
Dear Sir
Whilst there are undoubtedly a number of unscrupulous landlords in Jersey from whom tenants need protection, the vast majority of landlords do not come into this category.
For this reason, this proposed new law is akin to a "sledgehammer to crack a nut", in that whilst it might help tenants of these unscrupulous landlords, the fact that it will apply to all landlords will have serious consequences for the numbers of rental properties available on the market.
Jersey is facing a dire shortage of available housing at present and, particularly for those persons at the lower end of the scale and those unable to purchase property for whatever reason, their only housing opportunities at present are in the rental market.
For a number of people, purchasing property and making it available for rental represents a very good investment.
Were it not for these types of rental accommodation being available, a large number of the younger population here in Jersey would be forced to move away from Jersey.
However, the imposition of this new law is likely to make landlords reconsider whether or not letting property will be such a good investment in the future, and the withdrawal of such properties from the rental market would then make the housing problem here in Jersey even more dire than it currently is.
As with so much of the proposed legislation here in Jersey being brought forward these days, this matter needs substantial more thought.
Yours faithfully William Sutton