15 March 2023
The Minister for Housing and Communities, Deputy David Warr, has welcomed the Jersey
Homes Trust’s decision to delay their planned rent increases by a month.
The Trust, which is a not-for-profit organisation, is Jersey’s largest independent provider of
social rented homes. They recently informed tenants that their rent would be going up from
April.
Concerned about the notice period, the Minister wrote to the Trust asking them to put the
increase back by a month. They have, today, informed the Minister that they have agreed to
his request, and are now contacting residents.
Deputy David Warr said: “Although JHT have held rents stable over the past few years, the higher
increase in some of the rents will have distressed many families where household budgets need to
be carefully planned.
“I’m thankful to the Jersey Homes Trust and their trustees for acting so quickly upon receipt of my
letter, and for agreeing to delay the rent rise until May. This will give tenants better opportunity to
get financial arrangements in place and, where appropriate, discuss the issue further with our
Housing Advice Service or Income Support teams.”
Jersey Homes Trust rents were frozen in 2020 and 2021. In 2022 all rents for the Trust’s 839
properties went up by 3.8% in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI), and this year are being
kept below RPI.
Jersey Homes Trust Chairman, Philip Le Cornu, added: “The Minister for Housing and
Communities wrote to the Jersey Homes Trust on 14 March, asking for rent increases which
were due to take effect in April 2023 to be delayed by a month. The Trustees have agreed to
this reasonable request and therefore all rent increases previously advised will now take effect
from May 2023. Jersey Homes Trust is in the process of communicating this change to their
tenants directly.”
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