Residential requirements
Housing law
The housing regulations set out how to qualify to purchase or lease property in the Island.
Qualifying through a period of residence
The vast majority of people, 85% of the Island's total population, gain their qualifications through a long period of residence. Sufficient evidence of residence must be presented to be granted qualifications.
I was born in Jersey, how many years do I have to have lived in Jersey to get my residential qualifications?
To gain your residential qualifications you must have lived in Jersey for 10 years.
What proof is needed to gain my residential qualifications?
If you were born in the Island proof of residency can be obtained by contacting your previous schools and obtaining written confirmation of the dates you attended.
Will I lose my qualifications if I leave the Island?
If you were born in Jersey and have lived in the Island for 10 years you can never lose your housing qualifications, irrespective of any absence from the Island.
I was born outside Jersey, how many years do I have to have lived in Jersey to get my residential qualifications?
To gain your residential qualifications you must have lived in Jersey for 10 continuous years.
What proof is needed to gain my residential qualifications?
You must include proof of place of residence and / or employment, ideally with evidence of a Social Security contribution record, for the whole of the 10 year period.
Will I lose my qualifications if I leave the Island?
If you were born outside the Island, you are entitled to leave the Island for 1 single period of up to 5 years without losing your residential qualifications. Should you leave the Island for more than 5 years, you will automatically lose your residential status.
Please note: this does not apply to individuals with qualified parents who arrived prior to their 20th birthday.
Download a Housing qualification application form (size 22kb)
Other qualifying factors
In addition to qualifying through a period of residence, a minority of people qualify under regulations:
1(1)(g) - qualifying due to hardship
These relate to persons where it is considered that the applicant would suffer hardship, other than financial, if consent were not granted.
1(1)(j) - essential employment
Where a person is essentially employed and no local person can be found to fill the position.
1 (1)(k) - grounds of economic or social benefit
Where there is a proven economic and / or social benefit to the island, usually, in the form of being a high value resident.
The numbers qualifying via this route are small, for example, just 3% of the workforce is granted essential employee housing rights, and only a handful of people each year are granted consent due to hardship, or on economic or social grounds.