Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2012 (the Law)

Introduction

The Control of Housing & Work (Jersey) Law 2012 (CHW Law) deals with all aspects of housing and business set-up in Jersey and has been in force since 1 July 2013. The Control of Housing and Work (Residential and Employment Status) (Jersey) Regulations 2025 were recently introduced and replace the Control of Housing and Work (Residential and Employment Status) (Jersey) Regulations 2013. This briefing deals with the Jersey property aspects of the CHW Law.

Residential Status

There are six categories of residential status: Permanently Entitled, Entitled, Entitled for Work, Licensed, Licensed for Lease Only and Standard.

Any individual buying or leasing property, or starting work in Jersey must apply for a registration card which shows their residential status. Registration cards may now be issued in physical or digital form.

Who and what is covered by each of these new categories?

Permanently Entitled status

(a)   an individual who is Jersey-born and has resided for a period or periods of at least 10 years in Jersey;

(b)   an individual who is not Jersey-born who arrived in Jersey before school leaving age and who has resided for a continuous period of at least 10 years in Jersey;

(c)   an individual who is not Jersey-born (but whose parent is and has been resident in Jersey for at least 10 years) who arrived in Jersey before the age of 20 and has resided for a period or periods of at least 10 years in Jersey before reaching the age of 40; or

(d)   an individual who has been resident in Jersey for a continuous period of 25 or more years (previously 30 years).

Entitled status

(a)   an individual who is not Jersey-born but arrived in Jersey before the age of 16 and has resided for a continuous period of at least 10 years in Jersey immediately before the date of their application for entitled status;

(b)   an individual granted Entitled status on social or economic grounds, or both, and considered as being in the best interests of the community (Regulation 5, previously Regulation 2(1)(e)); or

(c)   an individual granted Entitled status on hardship grounds where it is justified to avoid hardship that would be caused to the person or any other person ordinarily resident in Jersey if Entitled status was not granted.

Entitled for Work status

This applies to an individual who does not have Permanently Entitled, Entitled, Licensed or Licensed for Lease Only status but who:

• has resided in Jersey for a continuous period of 5 years immediately before applying for a registration card;
• is the spouse, civil partner or in an enduring relationship with a person with Permanently Entitled, Entitled, Licensed or Entitled for Work status (Eligible Partner);
• within the previous 5 years, has ceased to have an Eligible Partner because of death, end of relationship, the Eligible Partner ceasing to have the relevant status or the Eligible Partner ceasing to be ordinarily resident in Jersey, and has resided in the Island since; or
• an individual granted Entitled for Work status on hardship grounds where it is justified to avoid hardship that would be caused to the person or any other person ordinarily resident in Jersey if the status was not granted.

May rent one ‘Registered’ property and must live in it as their main residence. Limited ability to purchase one property if their partner has Permanently Entitled, Entitled or Licensed status.

Licensed status

This applies to individuals who are accepted as being ‘essential employees’ for those local businesses which are able to satisfy the applicable criteria.

A Licensed individual can only rent or buy one property which must be occupied as his or her principal place of residence. They will lose the right to own or occupy property in Jersey as soon as the Licensed status is lost.

Licensed for Lease Only status

A business may allocate this status to an individual if the applicable conditions are satisfied.

A Licensed for Lease Only individual may only rent one ‘Registered’ or ‘Qualified’ property which must be occupied as his or her principal place of residence. Limited ability to purchase one property if their partner has Permanently Entitled, Entitled or Licensed status.

Standard status

Essentially unqualified status and applies to persons who do not fall into any other categories.

May rent one ‘Registered’ property which must be occupied as his or her principal place of residence.

The CHW Law registration card

Prior to buying or leasing property, an individual will need to show a valid and appropriate registration card to their lawyer or to the landlord.  Certain registration cards need validation by the Population Office/Social Security before they can be used i.e. an Entitled individual who does not hold permanent Entitled Status will need to prove that they have remained in Jersey since the card was last validated.

A company still needs to obtain Ministerial consent to buy or rent property (save for a lease of non-residential property for more than nine years) and a fee is payable for the processing of the application.

Categories of Housing

Properties are classified as either Qualified or Registered.

Qualified units must be occupied by persons holding either Permanently Entitled, Entitled or Licensed residential status whilst Registered units may be occupied by any individual.

Contacts

A full list of contacts can be found here.