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Selling your partial ownership home

What to do if you are looking to sell your partial ownership home
Selling your partial ownership home

If you would like to sell your partial ownership property back to the GHA, then you will need to comply with the policy for the leaseholder to dispose of a partial ownership property.

This policy sets out the steps that you will need to follow. To summarise:

  1. Before you contact the GHA, you must make sure that your property is in ‘good order.’ By this we mean that the property needs to be returned to the GHA in good repair and condition. 
  2. Contact your Housing Officer to ask the GHA Maintenance Inspector and your Housing Officer to visit and inspect your property. It must meet the minimum lettable standards as stated in the policy.
  3. Once an agreement has taken place that your property is ready to be sold back, you will need to choose a valuer from our list of registered valuers. The partial owner will be recharged the valuation fee by the GHA.
  4. The valuer will complete their valuation and return the documents to the GHA and the Housing Officer will draw up the surrender documents, which the partial owner will need to sign.
  5. The partial owners will have three months to return the property to the GHA and, within this time, allow viewings to take place.

If you are selling to the GHA to then buy a property in the private market then the GHA will pay your valuation fee.

Tenants moving on

If you would like to move to alternative housing - whether it is another GHA property, States Housing (ESS), into a nursing home or residential home, moving into the private sector or leaving the island - then you will need to comply with the policy for rented tenants moving on.

This policy sets out the steps that you will need to follow. To summarise:

  1. You will need to give the GHA four weeks’ written notice (known as termination period).
  2. Full rent will be charged for the whole notice period. However if we are able to let the property sooner and secure rent, the outgoing tenant will be released from the termination period early.
  3. You must clear the property of all the furniture and personal belongings.
What happens if the tenant dies?
  1. A member of the family will need to advise the GHA that the tenant has died. This will start the four weeks’ written notice (known as termination period.)
  2. The GHA will need a copy of the death certificate or notification in writing from the ‘Greffe Register of Death’ to end the tenancy.
  3. The family member will need to advise the GHA as to who the next of kin are and who will be responsible for the deceased person’s affairs.
  4. It is the responsibility of the next of kin to clear the property of all the furniture and personal belongings.
  5. If the next of kin is unable to clear the property, then the GHA will need to ask the next of kin to sign a mandate allowing the GHA to dispose of any items. If there are funds in the estate, then the costs will be claimed back. It may be possible to have an auctioneer to take the items and sell them. Any money gained from the sale of the items will be offset against the cost of clearing the property.
What happens if someone is living in the same property as the deceased tenant?

If someone is living in the same property and wishes to remain and “succeed the tenancy”, then they will need to complete a social housing application form.

They must contact the GHA to discuss if they are eligible before completing the form. The form must be returned to Housing at Edward T. Wheadon House within 14 days of the tenant’s death.

What happens if the deceased tenant has no will?

If the tenant has left no will with a named executor or grant of probate, the relatives, family or next of kin will need to sign an indemnity form. This provides written confirmation that any funds and/or belongings can be released to the named persons.

What happens if the deceased tenant is in arrears?

The family needs to confirm if there is a probate grant. If there is no grant, then that means there is very little money in the estate or in savings.  The GHA will write out to the next of kin requesting arrears payment. 

What happens if the deceased tenant has overpaid?

The GHA will need a copy of the probate grant or the deceased tenant’s will. The GHA needs the executor’s details and ID to make sure that they are paying the correct person and that they are bona fide.