Criteria change for Open Market housing proposed

Changes to the criteria for adding private homes to the open market in Guernsey have been proposed in a bid to make more properties available on the local market for everyone.

If the States accepts the proposal, by the committee for Environment and Infrastructure, only new-builds or refurbished derelict homes would be eligible for open-market status.

Deputy Lindsay De Sausmarez said if accepted, the new legislation would provide "much clearer guidelines" for developers, as there was currently no criteria in place.

The proposed changes to legislation would not remove any pre-existing rights that current licence holders have for homes on Open Market A, the register for private dwellings.

Open Market Part A properties are private family homes that are available for people without resident status on the island and have high demand. There are far fewer of these homes than Local Market homes, which non-residents cannot buy.

At the moment, there is no criteria for which homes can be put on the open market or on the local market registers.

It could be tempting for developers to sell local-market homes at a much higher price on the open market.

"We know that people who live in the open market, and can't live in the local market, are struggling to find the properties they need," said De Sausmarez.

"By their very nature, open market properties tend to be bigger."

She said the proposed legislation would allow anyone who wished to downsize to sell their open market home on the local market, increasing availability, and to then buy a smaller local market home.

"For many years now, our open market has served as an economic enabler for our island and, as a government, we value the significant contribution that many open-market residents make to our community.

"We've co-designed this policy with key industry stakeholders and relevant States Committees to make sure that we've given it thorough consideration from every angle."

De Sausmarez said the number of Open Market A homes had decreased in the last number of years and, while this legislation would lead to an increase, it would be "measured" so as not to destabilise the market.

The proposal will be voted on by the States of Deliberation in March.

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