A landlord in Guernsey has incurred nearly £20,000 in legal fees whilst attempting to evict a tenant through the courts system, highlighting the financial burden faced by property owners in tenant-landlord disputes.
Fallon Bewey, who owns a rental property on the island, reported that her tenant refused to vacate the property in November last year following the expiration of a one-year tenancy agreement. The case is not scheduled to be heard until June this year, representing a seven-month delay.
Legal costs and court delays
“Going through the courts is costly and time-consuming, and it’s really concerning that it can cost a landlord who hasn’t broken the agreement tens of thousands of pounds,” Bewey told ITV News.
The working mother-of-two stated that she does not feel supported by the courts or police. “The tenancy agreement, which I believe to be legally binding, was not enforced at all by the courts, and they were not interested that the tenancy had been breached,” she said.
Housing crisis impact
Bewey noted that the housing shortage in Guernsey affects eviction proceedings. “The housing crisis in Guernsey means that stays of eviction are issued based on the ability for a tenant to find alternative accommodation, meaning the responsibility for this problem falls on the landlord,” she explained.
The landlord emphasised that not all property owners on the island are professional landlords. “There are many situations where people have rental properties due to personal circumstances, such as the breakdown of marriages, and there are many pensioners who have it as their main source of income,” she said.
Legislative context
The Renters’ Rights Act, scheduled to come into force in the UK in May, will not apply in the Channel Islands, meaning Guernsey’s rental market operates under separate legal frameworks.
The case illustrates the financial and procedural challenges facing landlords in jurisdictions where court backlogs and housing shortages complicate possession proceedings, with potential implications for the viability of small-scale property investment in the region.
