Landlords are complaining about the government's new licensing scheme, calling it disorganised and 'a fudge'.

The Jersey Landlords Association says there is no clear guidance for how to comply with the minimum standards for rented homes.

From August, it will become illegal in Jersey to rent out a home without a licence.

An online application process opened this month for landlords to get a permit for each property they own.

 The JLA says the 124-page code of practice is difficult to read and provides little helpful information on how to ensure their homes measure up.

"Tenants, agents and landlords have been left with a fudge, brought out in short order to get the licensing scheme up and running. This is a great pity as this was the opportunity to come up with some really good guidance for rented dwellings in Jersey."

It is also bemoaning that there are no paper application forms, no Portuguese, Polish or Romanian translations, and no way of applying for multiple licences at once.

"For landlords with multiple properties or managing agents who may have hundreds of licences to apply for, this represents a serious increase in red tape and administration. For landlords it may represent an increase in agent fees."

Environment Minister Deputy Steve Luce has responded, saying that 830 licences have already been issued, from more than 1,000 applications.

He says that suggests 'many landlords are indeed just getting on with it and that the system is working quickly and efficiently'.

"We have committed to working with Scrutiny and the Jersey Landlords' Association on improvements to the Code of Practice and application process.’

The JLA has organised a meeting at the Town Hall in St Helier on Monday 13 May for landlords and managing agents to discuss their concerns.