Rogue Landlords

Anybody who has ever leased a property in Jersey will have heard the horror stories about unscrupulous landlords who refused to hand back the deposit, or charged an extra month's rent, or wandered in and out of the property at will, and in truth, you have very little recourse in the courts without incurring costs, though proposals are afoot in the States. In the meantime, there are things you can do to protect yourself.

Getting Your Deposit Back

The landlord takes a deposit to protect himself against any damage caused by the tenant. The unscrupulous landlord takes it as his right. Changes to the law are expected to include the stipulation that a 'schedule of condition' - a report on the state of the property at the outset - be mandatory in all lease agreements. Until then there is nothing preventing a tenant from having his own schedule of condition attached to a new lease. For the purposes of a short residential lease, if the landlord will not or cannot provide a