Guernsey’s rental crisis: “You’d find it hard to even get a bedsit for £800"

Thursday 10 June 2021

Single applicants for rental accommodation have been left in a state of "desperation" by the island's property crisis, with just three local market properties currently available through estate agents, starting at £1,400 per month.

Demand is far outstripping supply in the rental market, with calls made for the States to seek urgent solutions to the struggles that islanders are facing to find somewhere affordable to live.

When Express looked across all of Guernsey's registered estate agents' websites yesterday, there were just three one-bed properties on the local market (not already under offer).

Two of these are apartments for £1,400 and £1,500 per month respectively, and the third was a wing of a property, which would set you back £1,650 per month.

Two other properties put on the market at £975 per month last Friday were snapped up in a matter of days. 

“You’d find it hard to even get a bedsit for £800 at the moment,” said Property Manager at Shields and Rutland, Julia Mauger.

“Because there’s a shortage of rental properties the prices have gone up. Whereas a couple could split costs, a single person would definitely find it more difficult."

Pictured: Estate Agents are sometimes reporting more than 40 applicants for a property. 

“We’re not advertising anymore," she added. "We don’t need to – we just go out to the people already in our database."

Ms Mauger also raised concerns about incoming workers affording more than single people in Guernsey.

“The majority of the enquiries we get are from single people being brought into the island for work,” she said. “These people come in with rental allowances and their deposits ready, and it’s pricing out youngsters in Guernsey who can’t afford as much.”

“The States need to do something, they need to look at the rental market, that’s how they’re going to keep people in the island."

The Director of Lettings and Management at Cooper Brouard shares the same concerns. “The landlord will make a decision, it’s not just a case of who’s first through the door,” said Cathy Gallienne.

Pictured: “We keep asking how we can make this fairer, but there’s no answer,” said Ms Gallienne.

“It’s a real tough time, there’s just not the supply of properties for the demand of tenants.

“Each story comes with desperation and we’re always going to disappoint someone, it’s so hard to choose the right tenant at the moment,” said Ms Gallienne.

Kelly-Anne Brown has been looking for a property to rent by herself since mid-February.

“I’ve never experienced this before; it seems to be potluck whether or not you get picked for a property," she said. "It’s very frustrating.

“With two of you, you have more money and more options. The high rentals are pricing single people out."