Jersey’s Housing Minister believes hundreds of landlords may be breaking the law by not putting deposits into an approved tenancy scheme.

ITV News reports that Deputy Sam Mézec is concerned that while rules have been in place since 2015 – with fines up to £10,000 for non-compliance – no one has ever been prosecuted.

Jersey government figures show that between 2020 and 2023, nearly a fifth of deposits submitted to the official Jersey scheme missed a mandatory 30-day window.

The real number of deposits not even included in the scheme is unknown, ITV News claims.

The broadcaster has been told that Attorney General Mark Temple KC, allegedly said prosecuting landlords for this offence does not meet the public interest threshold.

Mézec is quoted by ITV News as saying: “It’s disappointing that we have evidence lots of landlords aren’t putting their tenant’s deposits in the scheme within the required time limit and not a lot has been done to enforce that.

“There needs to be a look at why this hasn’t been enforced properly because if it isn’t, some people will question the value of the scheme at all.”

A separate landlord licensing scheme was recently rolled out in Jersey, requiring anyone receiving money for renting out rooms to buy a £60 permit.