Three months to move while pregnant 'depressing'

A pregnant woman who was told to move out of her rental property at three months' notice is calling for more support for tenants.

The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, told BBC Guernsey her lease mentioned nothing about children.

The managing director of a different property company in Guernsey said that, while renting to families had its challenges, showing compassion as a landlord was important.

The States of Guernsey has extended the deadline for its consultation on the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants.

With a week to go, the local woman and her partner have been unable to find a home to rent.

In November, the woman was invited by her estate agent to sign a lease renewal after living in her apartment for a year.

She informed the letting agent that she was pregnant, as the lease did not contain any mention of children.

She and her partner were "very shocked and quite upset" to be told they had three months to leave their home and, after inquiring about more than 20 properties, had been unable to find anywhere.

She said: "We asked several times if we could extend and we've just been told no.

"It's been quite depressing and we're feeling down all the time."

The couple have spoken to Citizens' Advice and Sarnia Housing, but were told nothing was available at the moment.

She said: "It has been very hard to enjoy this pregnancy because, when we get turned down, it's upsetting.

"We want to bring our new baby to a new home and we've got nowhere to go."

Helena Filipczak, managing director of Elite Property Management Ltd, which is not involved in the couple's situation, said renting properties was "challenging" because landlords had "no legal protections from the government".

She said: "When there's a conflict between the landlord and the tenant, the landlord is always the first to be judged."

She said she had encountered difficulties recently in preventing conflicts between tenants of different cultures, dealing with late rent payments and negotiating who paid for damages.

But she added that having a positive relationship with tenants was very important.

She said: "At the end of the day, we're all human and we want others to treat us as we treat them.

"My aim is to make sure my tenants have a happy stay."

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