A tax incentive aimed at encouraging homeowners to let out a room in their house has been launched.
Under the Rent A Room Scheme, homeowners can receive tax relief on rent that they receive for letting a bedroom in their own home from 1 January 2023.
The scheme, which is part the Government’s wider programme to address Jersey’s accommodation shortage, enables homeowners to receive tax relief provided that:
- the total gross income does not exceed £10,000;
- the room is not rented to a family member;
- the room is in the homeowner’s main residence, and is not a self-contained unit; and
- the lodger is over 18 or placed in the room by an appropriate organisation if they are under 18.
The Minister for Housing and Communities, Deputy David Warr, said: “The 2021 census found that around one-quarter of households were under-occupying their accommodation, and this initiative is designed to encourage those empty bedrooms to be used.
“The scheme builds on the current tax treatment of lodger income and I am confident that it will lead to an increase in accommodation for people seeking somewhere to stay for a relatively shorttime. That might be foreign language students, or workers in Jersey for short-term contracts, or Islanders who just need a bedroom. Whoever it is, they are likely to feel more welcome, and more in touch with Island life, if they’re staying in someone’s home.”
Further details about the scheme, and about the wider programme to address housing in Jersey, will be announced in due course.
Government of Jersey News Release