Rental homes to be made 'safe' under new law

A new law designed to ensure that rental homes are safe and fit for purpose was due to come into effect on Tuesday.

The legislation was passed by the States of Deliberation in March and is part of work being carried out to tackle Guernsey's "significant housing pressures".

Providing safe drinking water, ensuring buildings are structurally sound and complying with fire safety requirements would be set as minimum standards for rental accommodation.

A Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) will also come into effect to assess the impact of hazards such as damp and mould, excess heat and cold, lighting and risk of falls.

The States said more measures would be introduced so that less serious issues could be addressed without needing "heavy enforcement".

Tobin Cook, director of environmental health and pollution regulation, said the move was a "crucial step to improving the quality of homes" on Guernsey's rental market.

"There are many well looked after and safe units of rental accommodation but there are still people who are living in entirely unsafe and dangerous homes," he said.

"This legislation provides a proportionate way to work with landlords to see the quality of our housing stock improve across the island, making more homes available to be safely lived in."

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