# Guernsey 🇬🇬 — Property Due-Diligence Playbook

ISO2: `gg`. Status: ⚠️ Draft (initial research wave + validation patches applied 2026-05-27).

Guernsey is a **British Crown Dependency** — self-governing, NOT part of the UK, NOT part of the EU. Its own legislature (States of Deliberation), own courts (Royal Court of Guernsey / **Cour Royale**), own tax authority (Guernsey Revenue Service), own land registry (the Greffe), and its own legal system rooted in **Norman customary law** (Coutume de Normandie), supplemented by statute. **Do not conflate with Jersey or UK — every regime differs.**

The Bailiwick of Guernsey comprises Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and other minor islands. Each has its own sub-rules; this playbook covers Guernsey itself, with cross-references where Alderney/Sark differ materially.

## Country profile

- Postcode pattern: `GY1`–`GY10` (Guernsey + Herm), `GY9` (Alderney), `GY10` (Sark). Royal Mail UK format.
- Currency: GBP (Guernsey pound — at par with sterling, 1:1; sterling circulates interchangeably)
- Language: English; place-names + legal terms retain Norman-French (Guernésiais nearly extinct)
- Cadastre: NOT publicly searchable; the Greffe (HM Greffier) holds title records under the Royal Court (Cour Royale) — physical/archival inspection by Advocate
- ISO 3166-1 alpha-2: `gg`
- Population: ~63,950 (2024 mid-year, States of Guernsey Data & Analysis) — verify at [gov.gg/statistics](https://www.gov.gg/article/119991/Population-Employment-and-Earnings)

---

## Section: `--foreign-buyer` (CRITICAL — Two-Market Housing System)

**Guernsey is the most restrictive Crown Dependency for foreign buyers.** The island operates a statutory **two-market housing system** that gates *occupancy*, not *ownership* — a non-resident can buy a Local Market house but **cannot lawfully live in it** without the right Population Management status.

### The two registers

| Market | Statutory basis | Stock | Who may occupy long-term |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Open Market** | Open Market Housing Register (Guernsey) Law 2016 (as amended) + Open Market Housing Register Ordinance 2017 | ~1,600 dwellings (Part A) — capped, ~3 new Part A inscriptions/yr | Anyone (subject to Population Management status) |
| **Local Market** | Population Management (Guernsey) Law 2016 (entry into force 3 April 2017) | ~24,000+ dwellings (the rest of the stock) | Residentially qualified persons, Employment Permit holders, immediate family of householders |

Source: [Open Market Housing Register — gov.gg](https://openmarkethousingregister.gov.gg/) · [Population Management FAQ — gov.gg/pmfaq](https://www.gov.gg/pmfaq) · [Open Market Inscriptions Policy — gov.gg](https://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=186660&p=0)

### Open Market Part A subdivisions

| Part | Property type |
|---|---|
| **A** | Private family homes (the relevant register for individual buyers) |
| **B** | Hotels |
| **C** | Nursing / residential care homes |
| **D** | Houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) |

Source: [Population Management FAQ — gov.gg/pmfaq](https://www.gov.gg/pmfaq).

### Population Management Law 2016 — status types

**Certificates** (longer-term — Population Management (Guernsey) Law 2016):

| Certificate | Qualifying period | Key right |
|---|---|---|
| **Resident Certificate** | Various entry pathways (e.g. born locally to resident parent; immediate family member of qualified resident) | Right to reside on Local Market while certificate valid |
| **Established Resident Certificate** | **8 years** of continuous lawful Local Market residence (typically via LTEP holder + family) | Right to reside on Local Market not tied to employment |
| **Permanent Resident Certificate** | **6 further years** holding an Established Resident Certificate (**14 years total**) | Right of return — automatic right to re-occupy Local Market after any period of absence |
| **10-year-in-20 retention** | Residentially qualified persons who leave Guernsey lose their automatic right to return UNLESS they accumulated **10 years' residence within a 20-year period** | Limited right of return without re-qualification |

Sources: [Carey Olsen — Guide to Guernsey's population management regime](https://www.careyolsen.com/insights/briefings/guide-guernseys-population-management-regime) · [Population Management FAQ — gov.gg/pmfaq](https://www.gov.gg/pmfaq) · [Population Management (Guernsey) Law 2016 — guernseylegalresources.gg](https://www.guernseylegalresources.gg/article/154337/Population-Management-Guernsey-Law-2016).

**Permits** (employment-linked, expire on job end):
- **Short-Term Employment Permit (STEP)** — max 1 year, renewable to 3 years total
- **Seasonal Employment Permit (SEP)** — up to 9 months, mandatory 3-month break between
- **Medium-Term Employment Permit (MTEP)** — typically up to 5 years (verify category list at gov.gg/populationmanagement)
- **Long-Term Employment Permit (LTEP)** — up to 8 years; converts to Established Resident
- **Open Market Employment Permits** — separate stream for Part A/B Open Market employer-sponsored

Source: [Population Management FAQ — gov.gg/pmfaq](https://www.gov.gg/pmfaq).

### Practical consequence for foreign buyers

| Buyer profile | Can buy Local Market? | Can occupy Local Market? | Can buy Open Market Part A? | Can occupy Open Market Part A? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-resident, no permit | Yes (title) | **No** (PML Law breach) | Yes | Yes |
| Long-Term Employment Permit holder | Yes | Yes (while permit valid) | Yes | Yes |
| Established Resident | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

**The Open Market route is the only practical purchase channel for a non-resident wanting to live in Guernsey without a job-sponsored permit.** Open Market entry-level (cheapest Part A) prices generally start materially above Local Market equivalents — verify current asking levels via licensed estate agents (Swoffers, Livingroom, Cooper Brouard) before budgeting.

### Sark + Alderney + Herm

- **Alderney** — no equivalent two-market system; broadly open purchase. Two distinct tax-cap regimes apply over time (see `--tax` for full detail):
  - **Alderney Cap £65,000** — £65,000 for 2024 and 2025 (£50,000 for 2020-2023 per Monetary Values), availability ceased 31 Dec 2025. Source: [gov.gg/taxcap](https://www.gov.gg/taxcap) + [gov.gg Monetary Values](https://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=185595&p=0).
  - **Alderney Property Tax Cap £60,000** — **from 1 Jan 2025 onwards**, conditional on £50,000 Alderney Document/Transfer/Leasehold Duty trigger. Source: gov.gg Monetary Values PDF + LTS-Tax factsheet.
  - Property tax administered by States of Alderney: [alderney.gov.gg/property-tax](https://alderney.gov.gg/property-tax).
- **Sark** — feudal-tenure quirks (Seneschal, Tenants); transfers historically required Seigneur's consent. Verify with Chief Pleas of Sark before relying.
- **Herm** — single-tenant lease from the Crown; no individual property market.

---

## Section: `--price`

Guernsey publishes an official quarterly **Residential Property Prices Bulletin** ([gov.gg/property](https://www.gov.gg/property) · [Q3 2025 Bulletin PDF](https://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=195512&p=0) · [Residential Property Prices and Stock: 2025 hub](https://www.gov.gg/article/202796/Residential-Property-Prices-and-Stock-2025)). This is **the canonical primary source** — not aggregators.

**Q3 2025 figures** (latest at draft date, source: gov.gg bulletin via [Channel Eye summary](https://channeleye.media/property-prices-climb-as-guernsey-market-steadies/) + [Collas Crill 2025 review](https://www.collascrill.com/articles/a-review-of-2025-guernseys-property-market/)):

| Segment | Average price | YoY change |
|---|---:|---:|
| Local Market (mix-adjusted average) | **£592,584** | −2.8% vs Q3 2024 |
| Local Market (Q2 2025 comparator) | £596,573 | +1.5% vs Q2 2024 |
| Open Market (raw median, realty only, 22 transactions) | **£1,852,500** | −5.4% vs Q3 2024 (£1,958,288) |

(2025 Q3 data, States of Guernsey Data & Analysis; figures are island-wide — parish-level breakdowns in the bulletin appendix.)

**Caveats**:
- Open Market sample is very thin (≈ 20 transactions/quarter) — median is volatile; use rolling 4-quarter window for trend.
- "Mix-adjusted average" controls for property type composition; raw averages drift with mix shift.
- For listed comparables / asking prices, the principal agents are **Swoffers** ([swoffers.co.uk](https://swoffers.co.uk/)), **Livingroom**, **Cooper Brouard** — verify on each agent site. These are listing prices, not transacted; flag as `(per listing — verify with Greffe transaction record or licensed agent)`.

---

## Section: `--tax` (Annual + Transaction Taxes)

### Income tax (annual)

- **Standard rate: 20% flat** on all taxable income (Guernsey-source and worldwide for residents). No higher bands.
- **No CGT** on disposals of property (residential or investment) for individuals — Guernsey does not levy a capital gains tax. Source: [PwC Guernsey Tax Summary](https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/guernsey/individual/taxes-on-personal-income) cross-ref to Income Tax (Guernsey) Law 1975 via [gov.gg](https://www.gov.gg/tax).
- **No IHT** (inheritance tax / estate duty) on a Guernsey resident's worldwide estate. Source: same.
- **No GST/VAT in Guernsey** (Jersey has 5% GST since 2008 — DO NOT conflate). Guernsey has consulted on a GST several times (most recently 2022–2023 Funding & Investment Plan debate); no enactment to date. Verify current at [gov.gg/tax](https://www.gov.gg/tax).

### Tax Cap regime (HNW residents)

The Tax Cap is an alternative ceiling on income tax for high-income residents (Income Tax (Guernsey) Law 1975 ss. 39B–39E + 6th Schedule). 2024 amounts (source: [gov.gg/taxcap](https://www.gov.gg/taxcap)); confirmed unchanged for 2025/2026 via Carey Olsen *Summary of certain key aspects* ([careyolsen.com](https://www.careyolsen.com/insights/briefings/summary-certain-key-aspects-guernsey-taxation-law)) — "The cap remains the same for 2026":

| Cap variant | 2024 amount | 2025/2026 status |
|---|---|---|
| Combined worldwide cap (Guernsey + non-Guernsey source income) | £320,000 | Unchanged for 2026 (Carey Olsen) |
| Qualifying (Guernsey-source) income cap | £160,000 | Unchanged for 2026 (Carey Olsen) |
| **Open Market Tax Cap** (new resident purchasing Part A) | **£60,000** for arrival year + 3 following years | Unchanged for 2026 (Carey Olsen) |
| **Alderney Cap** (legacy regime — transitional) | **£65,000** | **£65,000 for 2024 and 2025** — availability ceased 31 Dec 2025 (Monetary Values: N/A for 2026); replaced by Alderney Property Tax Cap (see below) |
| **Alderney Property Tax Cap** (new regime) | (not applicable in 2024) | **£60,000 from 1 Jan 2025**, conditional on £50,000 Alderney Document/Transfer/Leasehold Duty trigger — source: gov.gg Monetary Values PDF + LTS-Tax factsheet |
| Standard Charge (alternative regime, certain non-residents) | £40,000 (2024 baseline) | **£50,000 from year-of-charge 2026** — per States proposition [P.2025-121 prop 2](https://parliament.gg/parliamentary-business/propositions/P2025-121) (2026 Budget); cross-confirmed in gov.gg Monetary Values PDF Tax Cap table |

**Open Market Tax Cap eligibility** ([gov.gg/taxcap](https://www.gov.gg/taxcap)):
1. New resident to Guernsey (not Guernsey-resident in previous 3 calendar years)
2. Purchases an Open Market Part A property within 12 months of taking up permanent residence
3. **Paid ≥ £50,000 in Document Duty on the purchase**
4. Cap applies for the year of arrival + 3 following years; reverts to standard cap thereafter

(2024 baseline confirmed via [gov.gg/taxcap](https://www.gov.gg/taxcap); 2026 status confirmed via [Carey Olsen — Summary of certain key aspects of Guernsey taxation law](https://www.careyolsen.com/insights/briefings/summary-certain-key-aspects-guernsey-taxation-law).)

### Document Duty (transaction tax)

Levied under the Document Duty (Guernsey) Law 2017 and annual amending Ordinances. Banded ad valorem on the sale consideration. **Thresholds were increased by 25% effective 8 November 2024** (2025 Budget reform). Current residential bands ([Lexology — Document Duty changes in Guernsey](https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=a8674f1b-9ea4-4555-a7e3-b6f6cf77e550) · [parliament.gg 2026-16 Table 1](https://parliament.gg/parliamentary-business/assets/questions/2026-16) · cross-check the 2024 Amendment Ordinance at [guernseylegalresources.gg](http://www.guernseylegalresources.gg) before signing):

| Tranche | Rate (residential, principal private residence) |
|---|---:|
| First £300,000 | 2.25% |
| £300,001 – £500,000 | 3.50% |
| £500,001 – £950,000 | 4.00% |
| £950,001 – £1,250,000 | 4.25% |
| £1,250,001 – £2,500,000 | 4.50% |
| £2,500,001 – £5,000,000 | **5.50%** (confirmed at [parliament.gg 2026-16 Table 1](https://parliament.gg/parliamentary-business/assets/questions/2026-16)) |
| Above £5,000,000 | 7.00% (new top band introduced 2025 Budget) |

Source: [Lexology — Document Duty changes in Guernsey](https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=a8674f1b-9ea4-4555-a7e3-b6f6cf77e550) · [Bloomberg Tax — Guernsey Gazettes Ordinance](https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report-international/guernsey-gazettes-ordinance-amending-document-duty-rates) · [Collas Crill — 2025 Guernsey Budget](https://www.collascrill.com/articles/how-does-the-2025-guernsey-budget-affect-you-and-your-property/) · [parliament.gg 2026-16](https://parliament.gg/parliamentary-business/assets/questions/2026-16) (2024 Amendment Ordinance effective 8 Nov 2024; verify against 2026 Ordinance for current year).

**Non-Principal-Private-Residence 2% uplift — REPEALED 5 Nov 2025.** From November 2022 an additional 2% Document Duty applied to purchases not intended as the purchaser's Principal Private Residence (P.2025/121 §5.89). The States' Resolution on Billet d'État XXVIII (5 Nov 2025, P.2025/121 propositions 12 + 13) approved the Document Duty (Rates) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 and the Document Duty (Anti-Avoidance) (Rates) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025; each provides "Section 1A is repealed" and "shall come into force on the day on which it is made", so the uplift no longer applies to ordinary conveyances or to Anti-Avoidance Duty on share deals, whatever the buyer's purpose (PPR or not, Open or Local Market). Transitional relief refunds the difference on registrations from 7 October 2025 to commencement. Sources: [parliament.gg P.2025/121](https://parliament.gg/parliamentary-business/assets/propositions/P2025-121) · [parliament.gg Resolution XXVIII 2025-11-05](https://parliament.gg/parliamentary-business/assets/resolutions/resolution-xxviii-2025-11-05).

**Downsizing relief** — first £500,000 charged at 0% Document Duty (2026 data, source P.2025/121 §5.95) if the target property is ≥ 25% smaller (by TRP assessment) than the seller's previous home, that previous home was their PPR for ≥ 2 years, and relief is taken once only. Original sunset was 31 December 2024; the 2025 Budget continued the scheme for two more years, until the end of 2026, maximum relief **£13,750** (P.2025/121 §5.95-5.96) ([Collas Crill — 2025 Budget](https://www.collascrill.com/articles/how-does-the-2025-guernsey-budget-affect-you-and-your-property/)). **Verify current cut-off date at [gov.gg/documentduty](https://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=194596&p=0).**

**Stamp duty? No.** Guernsey has no UK-style SDLT or LTT. The Document Duty is the property transaction tax.

### Bond duty

Where a property purchase is financed by a Bond (Hypothèque Légale Spéciale — see `--notary` below), a separate Bond Document Duty applies on the borrowed sum. Verify the current Bond Duty schedule at [gov.gg](https://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=194596&p=0).

### Tax on Real Property (TRP) — annual

Annual property tax. Levied on a **TRP unit** (notional measurement based on floor area or land area — not market value). Each property category has its own per-unit tariff set annually by the States.

Sources:
- [Tax on Real Property (TRP) Category Codes and Tariffs **2025** — gov.gg PDF id=185042](https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=185042&p=0)
- [Tax on Real Property (TRP) Category Codes and Tariffs **2026** — gov.gg PDF id=196847](https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=196847&p=0) (current-year tariffs — pull this for any 2026 calculation)

**Key 2024–2025 reforms**:
- From **1 January 2025**: derelict glasshouses, derelict glasshouse land, and unoccupied domestic + commercial buildings are charged at **5× the standard TRP tariff**. Source: [States Voting Records — Annual Budget 2024](https://statesvoting-records.gov.gg/Propositions/Details/1163).
- For 2025, **TRP on domestic + commercial buildings + land increased by 3.2%** across the board. For 2026, sampled domestic tariffs rose +8.2-8.4% vs 2025 (e.g. B1.0 Local Market whole unit under 100 units £2.08 → £2.25 per unit; B1.1.5 500+ units £5.52 → £5.98) and retail B4.4 +5.0% (£14.50 → £15.23) (2026 data, computed from gov.gg TRP tariff PDFs id=185042 + id=196847). Source: [Collas Crill — 2025 Budget](https://www.collascrill.com/articles/how-does-the-2025-guernsey-budget-affect-you-and-your-property/).

**Direct Debit payment frequency**: TRP Direct Debits moved from quarterly to monthly collection from March 2020 (2020 announcement, source States of Guernsey) — see [gov.gg article 176182, 3 Feb 2020](https://gov.gg/article/176182/Change-in-frequency-of-Direct-Debit-payments-for-Tax-on-Real-Property).

**Compute** (example only — verify with 2026 PDF tariff table for current year):
- Domestic dwelling TRP unit count is set per parcel by the Cadastre / Revenue
- Annual TRP = `TRP units × per-unit tariff (£/unit)` for the relevant category
- Add parish-level rates where applicable (each parish levies a smaller parish-level "Douzaine" rate)

### Parish rates

Guernsey has **10 parishes** (St Peter Port, St Sampson, Vale, Castel, St Saviour, St Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, St Martin, St Andrew). Each parish levies an additional small **occupier's rate** ("Douzaine rate") on each property. Rates are set annually at the Parish Assembly. **Pull current rate from the parish's "Douzaine" annual notice or via [gov.gg](https://www.gov.gg/article/163202/Cadastre-Tax-on-Real-Property--TRP-and-Parish-Rates).**

---

## Section: `--land-registry` (Greffe + Royal Court / Cour Royale)

Guernsey has **no Torrens-style land registry**. Title is established by tracing the chain of **registered conveyances** at the Greffe (HM Greffier — the Royal Court's registrar).

### How title moves

1. Vendor and purchaser instruct **Advocates** (Guernsey-qualified — the Bar is small, ~120 advocates)
2. Purchaser's advocate carries out **title search** at the Greffe (paper-based; recent records also digitised)
3. Both parties sign a **conveyance** (the deed transferring title)
4. **Contracts Court** — Royal Court (Cour Royale) sits as the Contracts Court on **Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 09:30** (NOT Wednesdays — common error). Both parties (or their advocates with Power of Attorney) attend in person before the Jurats of the Royal Court. The conveyance is **passed** ("passation des contrats" in older Norman-French parlance) and read into the Court record.
5. Conveyance is then **registered at the Greffe at 16:00 the same day** (after the Greffe verifies fees + Document Duty paid). At that moment title transfers.

Source: [Royal Court of Guernsey — Conveyances](https://guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1919/Conveyances) · [Conveyances and Bonds](https://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1638/Conveyances-and-Bonds) · [The Contracts Court](https://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/3186/The-Contracts-Court) · [Collas Crill — Guernsey conveyancing process](https://www.collascrill.com/articles/collas-crill-explains-the-guernsey-conveyancing-process).

### Bonds (Hypothèque Légale Spéciale)

A **Bond** is the Guernsey functional equivalent of an English mortgage — a hypothèque légale spéciale registered against the conveyance. Bonds rank in date order of registration at the Greffe (priority by registration sequence). When a Bond is paid off, it must be formally **renounced** at the Greffe to clear title.

Source: [Royal Court — Conveyances and Bonds](https://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1638/Conveyances-and-Bonds) · [Collas Crill — Guernsey property terms](https://www.collascrill.com/articles/collas-crill-explains-guernsey-property-terms/).

### Language of conveyances

Pre-November 1969: contracts were in **French** (Norman-French). Post-1969 (Real Property Reform Laws): conveyances may be drafted in English. **Old French conveyances (pre-1969) are still legally binding** — title chains for older properties frequently include French-language deeds requiring expert reading.

Source: [Collas Crill — Guernsey property terms](https://www.collascrill.com/articles/collas-crill-explains-guernsey-property-terms/) · [Carey Olsen Guide to Guernsey Property PDF](https://www.careyolsen.com/sites/default/files/CO_GSY_PL_Guide%20to%20Guernsey%20Property.pdf).

---

## Section: `--property-types`

Guernsey property law derives from the Norman **Coutume de Normandie** plus statute. Concepts differ materially from English freehold/leasehold.

### Real property forms

| Form | Description | Statutory basis |
|---|---|---|
| **Realty** ("real property") | Land, buildings, fixtures — title transferred by conveyance through the Royal Court (Cour Royale) | Common law of Guernsey + Real Property (Misc. Provisions) Law 1979 |
| **Personalty** | Movables, money, financial instruments | — |
| **"Enfin et de perpétuité d'héritage"** | The Guernsey form of absolute title in perpetuity — closest analogue to English freehold; the **only** form of ownership of land in Guernsey | Coutume + statute |
| **Flying freehold** (sectional title) | Horizontal severance of a building — owner of one storey of a building need not own the land beneath. Pre-1987 was risky (no enforcement of covenants); the **Law of Real Property (Guernsey) Law 1987** clarified position and enabled purpose-built apartment blocks | Law of Real Property (Guernsey) Law 1987 |
| **Leasehold** | Used for short tenancies; long-term leases rare. Not the dominant form. | — |

**Apartments / flats**: historically transferred via **share-transfer** in a company that owned the building (common pre-1987). Modern apartments use **sectional flying freehold** under the 1987 Law with enforceable common-parts covenants.

Source: [Carey Olsen — A guide to residential and commercial property in Guernsey](https://www.careyolsen.com/insights/briefings/guide-residential-and-commercial-property-guernsey) · [States of Guernsey — Buying a property](https://www.gov.gg/article/120135/Buying-a-property-freehold-leasehold-or-partial-ownership) · [Mondaq — A Guide to Guernsey Property](https://www.mondaq.com/guernsey/land-law-agriculture/620830/a-guide-to-guernsey-property).

### Servitudes (Norman-law easements)

Guernsey recognises a wider catalogue of **servitudes** than English easements — rights of way ("droits de passage"), drainage rights ("écoulement"), well rights, ancient rights of light ("vue droite"). These attach to land in perpetuity and bind successors. A title search must enumerate all servitudes burdening or benefiting the parcel.

Source: [Carey Olsen Guide to Guernsey Property PDF](https://www.careyolsen.com/sites/default/files/CO_GSY_PL_Guide%20to%20Guernsey%20Property.pdf).

---

## Section: `--rental` (Short-let + Long-let)

### Long-let

Long-term residential lettings on Local Market properties are constrained by the **Population Management Law 2016** — the tenant must hold a Certificate or Permit allowing Local Market occupation. Letting a Local Market property to someone without the right status is a PML Law offence.

### Short-let / tourism

- **VisitGuernsey** (the official destination marketing organisation) maintains the visitor accommodation directory: [visitguernsey.com](https://www.visitguernsey.com/).
- Short-stay holiday lets fall within the Open Market Part B (hotels) or Part C (HMO) regime if commercial scale; small-scale "self-catering" properties operating below Part B threshold need confirmation under PML.
- **Tourist (Guernsey) Law 1948 and amendments** regulate tourist accommodation; STR/Airbnb-scale rules have been the subject of ongoing review — verify the current letting threshold and any registration requirement at [gov.gg/tourism](https://www.gov.gg/article/120136/Tourist-accommodation).

**No equivalent of England's Tourism (Short-term Accommodation) registration scheme** — but DO NOT assume Airbnb-style letting is unregulated. The PML interaction makes most short-let on Local Market property **non-compliant** unless structured under a recognised accommodation category.

---

## Section: `--banking` / `--mortgage`

### Regulator

Guernsey banking is supervised by the **Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC)** — [gfsc.gg](https://www.gfsc.gg). All licensed banks listed at [gfsc.gg/regulated-entities](https://www.gfsc.gg/regulated-entities).

### Active residential mortgage lenders (Guernsey market)

| Lender | Channel | Foreign-buyer mortgages? |
|---|---|---|
| **Skipton International** | Guernsey-licensed bank; specialist Channel Islands lender | Yes — residents + non-resident expat BTL; max LTV varies by product (verify current at [skiptoninternational.com/mortgages/guernsey](https://www.skiptoninternational.com/mortgages/guernsey/)) |
| **Lloyds Bank International (Islands)** | UK group; Channel Islands division | Yes for Jersey/Guernsey/Alderney/Isle of Man residents (residency required for standard product) — [lloydsbank.com/islands](https://www.lloydsbank.com/islands/personal/mortgages.html) |
| **HSBC Channel Islands** | UK group | Yes — residency-conditioned |
| **Butterfield Bank (Guernsey)** | Bermuda group | Yes — private-bank tier |
| **Investec Bank (Channel Islands)** | UK group | Yes — private-bank tier |

**Foreign-buyer LTV guidance** (general market — verify with lender):
- Owner-occupier resident: up to ~85–90% LTV typical
- Skipton's "100% Guernsey Mortgage" requires a family guarantee until LTV ≤ 90% — source: [Skipton 100% product guide](https://www.skiptoninternational.com/mortgages/guernsey/guernsey-mortgage-help/guernsey-100-mortgage-product-guide/)
- Non-resident expat BTL: typically 75–80% LTV
- Open Market non-resident owner-occupier: case-by-case; private-bank tier often required for high-value Open Market acquisitions

**Mortgage = Bond** in Guernsey legal terminology. Bond registration at the Greffe is the security instrument (see `--notary`).

---

## Section: `--risks`

### Coastal flooding + erosion

Guernsey's coastline is heavily indented; low-lying areas at the head of bays (e.g. Vazon, L'Eree, Belle Greve) are exposed to tidal flooding and storm surge. **States of Guernsey publishes a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment** — verify current at [gov.gg/floodrisk](https://www.gov.gg/coastalmanagement) (data not pulled in this draft — verify URL liveness).

### Subsidence on clay strata

Parts of the island sit on weathered Brioverian / Cobo Granite weathered horizons with localised clay-rich layers; subsidence claims are not common but verify ground stability with the Geological Survey via [gov.gg](https://www.gov.gg/) and on-site survey.

### Seismic

Negligible. Guernsey is in a low-seismic region (Channel Islands, far from active fault zones). No specific seismic building code beyond UK-derived practice.

### Radon

The British Geological Survey (BGS) UK radon map does not extend to Guernsey directly; **States of Guernsey Environmental Health** has historically not flagged Guernsey as high-radon, but verify at [gov.gg/environmentalhealth](https://www.gov.gg/article/120023/Environmental-Health) — *data not pulled in this draft.*

### Build-era hazards

| Era | Likely hazards |
|---|---|
| Pre-1900 (Granite vernacular) | Solid stone walls, no insulation, lime mortar; lead paint; older slate roofs |
| 1900–1945 | Asbestos cement, lead pipework, older electrics |
| 1945–1980 | Asbestos (Artex, AIB ceilings, flue), aluminium wiring possible |
| 1980–2000 | Cavity-wall concerns (sea-air corrosion), older boilers |
| Post-2000 | Modern building control — broadly UK-compatible standards |

Asbestos surveys are standard for any pre-2000 build before refurbishment.

### Trades / contractor scarcity (anecdotal — Reddit community signal)

Cross-Channel-Islands community reports (r/UKPersonalFinance, r/guernsey) consistently flag **scarcity of decorators, contractors, and renovation trades** — even at the upper-mid Open Market tier. Sample sentiment: *"Even more upmarket properties can be quite low quality and best of luck getting decorators etc to fix it up."* (r/UKPersonalFinance dz3rwe). **Label**: anecdotal — not a basis for verdict, but worth pricing into renovation/refurbishment timelines and budgets. Action: line up tradespeople **before** completion, not after. Mainland contractors flying in carry travel + accommodation premiums.

### Affordability mismatch — wages vs property prices

Q3 2025 official figures (gov.gg Property Prices Bulletin) put the **Local Market mix-adjusted average at £592,584** and the **Open Market median at £1,852,500** — a structural mismatch with the island's wage base, repeatedly surfaced in r/guernsey threads (e.g. 16pnpoe: *"Looking at the Guernsey job market there's little going other than hotel, bar, restaurant work. The jobs market I've seen doesn't tally with house prices."*; 1g7toes: *"47% rise in property prices since COVID really puts me off"*). **Label**: Reddit signal is anecdotal narrative — but the underlying price/wage gap is sourced to gov.gg primary data. Practical implication: Local Market resale liquidity at the upper end depends heavily on cross-mainland buyer flow + LTEP-pipeline household formation; Open Market liquidity depends on a global HNW pool (≈ 20 transactions/quarter — thin).

---

## Section: `--mains` (utilities)

| Service | Provider | URL |
|---|---|---|
| Water | **Guernsey Water** (States-owned utility) | [water.gg](https://www.water.gg/) |
| Wastewater / sewerage | **Guernsey Water** | [water.gg/wastewater](https://www.water.gg/wastewater) |
| Electricity | **Guernsey Electricity** (States-owned) | [electricity.gg](https://www.electricity.gg/) |
| Gas (LPG, no mains nat-gas) | **Guernsey Gas** | [guernseygas.com](https://www.guernseygas.com/) |
| Telecoms | Sure Guernsey, JT Guernsey, Airtel-Vodafone | (commercial) |

**No mains natural gas** — domestic gas is bottled/bulk LPG (Guernsey Gas) for cooking + heating where used; most heating is oil, electric (immersion / heat-pump) or wood. Heating oil is the dominant rural heating fuel.

**Sewerage**: most properties on Guernsey are connected to mains sewer (urban + St Peter Port axis); rural properties may rely on individual septic / cesspit / Klargester systems. Verify parcel-level connection with **Guernsey Water**.

---

## Section: `--notary` (transaction process)

Guernsey has **no notaries** in the civil-law sense. The functional equivalent is the **Advocate** (member of the Guernsey Bar) acting under the supervision of the Royal Court (Cour Royale). Each side instructs their own Advocate.

### Sequence

1. **Subject-to-contract offer** accepted — agent issues memorandum of sale
2. **Advocate appointed** by purchaser; preliminary searches (Greffe title chain, Population Management status check, planning history at [gov.gg/planning](https://www.gov.gg/planningandbuilding))
3. **Conditions précédentes (CP)** discharged — Population Management consent, mortgage offer, Open Market inscription confirmation if applicable
4. **Conveyance drafted** by purchaser's Advocate, agreed by vendor's Advocate
5. **Funds (deposit + balance + Document Duty) cleared into Advocate's client account**
6. **Contracts Court appearance** (Tuesday or Thursday morning 09:30) — Jurats hear and "pass" the conveyance
7. **Greffe registration at 16:00** — title transfers; Bond (if mortgage) registered immediately after
8. **Keys handed over** — typically same day as Contracts Court

### Forced heirship

Guernsey **abolished mandatory forced heirship for movables in 2011** (Inheritance (Guernsey) Law 2011) and for realty earlier. Testators now have broad freedom of disposition — though Norman-law légitime traces still appear in older conveyances. Verify current rules at [gov.gg](https://www.gov.gg/) before relying for estate-planning purposes.

### Costs

| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Advocate fees (purchaser) | est. £2,500–£7,500 + VAT-not-applicable (no GST) on standard residential — varies by complexity; confirm with instructed Advocate's fee quote |
| Document Duty | per current Ordinance (see `--tax` — verify current bands) |
| Bond Duty | per current Ordinance |
| Greffe registration fee | small fixed fees (verify at gov.gg) |
| Survey (building survey by Chartered Surveyor) | est. £600–£1,500; confirm with instructed surveyor's quote |

---

## Source URL templates

| Subject | URL |
|---|---|
| Open Market Housing Register | [openmarkethousingregister.gov.gg](https://openmarkethousingregister.gov.gg/) |
| Population Management | [gov.gg/populationmanagement](https://www.gov.gg/populationmanagement) |
| Tax Cap | [gov.gg/taxcap](https://www.gov.gg/taxcap) |
| Income tax rates and allowances | [gov.gg/RStax-rates-and-allowances](https://gov.gg/RStax-rates-and-allowances) |
| TRP Tariffs 2025 PDF | [gov.gg CHttpHandler 185042](https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=185042&p=0) |
| TRP Tariffs 2026 PDF | [gov.gg CHttpHandler 196847](https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=196847&p=0) |
| Document Duty bands (parliament.gg 2026-16) | [parliament.gg 2026-16](https://parliament.gg/parliamentary-business/assets/questions/2026-16) |
| 2026 Budget propositions (Standard Charge £50k) | [parliament.gg P.2025-121](https://parliament.gg/parliamentary-business/propositions/P2025-121) |
| Carey Olsen — 2026 Tax Cap currency check | [careyolsen.com summary](https://www.careyolsen.com/insights/briefings/summary-certain-key-aspects-guernsey-taxation-law) |
| Royal Court of Guernsey (Cour Royale) | [guernseyroyalcourt.gg](https://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/) |
| Royal Court — Contracts Court | [guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/3186](https://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/3186/The-Contracts-Court) |
| GFSC | [gfsc.gg](https://www.gfsc.gg) |
| Guernsey Legal Resources (statute book) | [guernseylegalresources.gg](http://www.guernseylegalresources.gg) |
| States Voting Records | [statesvoting-records.gov.gg](https://statesvoting-records.gov.gg/) |
| Guernsey Water | [water.gg](https://www.water.gg/) |
| Guernsey Electricity | [electricity.gg](https://www.electricity.gg/) |
| Alderney property tax | [alderney.gov.gg/property-tax](https://alderney.gov.gg/property-tax) |

## Caveats unique to GG

- **NOT the UK, NOT Jersey** — do not import HMRC SDLT bands, Jersey GST, or Jersey 2(1)(e) wording. Every regime is locally enacted.
- **Population Management Law has no functional equivalent in UK/Jersey/Isle of Man** — it is the central friction for relocation, not Document Duty.
- **Title chain in French** — pre-1969 deeds are legally binding and may form part of any older property's chain.
- **No public cadastre** — title searches are physical-archival at the Greffe, performed by Advocate.
- **Open Market Tax Cap (£60,000) is conditional on ≥ £50,000 Document Duty paid** — a deliberate price gate; below the threshold the cap is not available.
- **5× TRP surcharge for unoccupied/derelict** (from 2025) — empty homes carry real annual cost.
- **Alderney has TWO distinct tax-cap regimes** — the legacy Alderney Cap (£65,000 for 2024 and 2025; availability ceased 31 Dec 2025) overlapped in 2025 with, and is now replaced by, the £60,000 Alderney Property Tax Cap (from 1 Jan 2025); do not conflate them.
- **Standard Charge raised £40k → £50k from 2026** — non-resident HNW Standard Charge planning needs the 2026 figure.

## Verification authorities

- **Royal Court of Guernsey** (Cour Royale / Greffe) — title, conveyance, Bond registration
- **Guernsey Revenue Service** — income tax, Document Duty, TRP, Tax Cap administration
- **Population Management Office** — PML status, permits, certificates
- **Committee for Housing (States of Guernsey)** — Open Market Housing Register
- **Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC)** — bank, mortgage lender licensing
- **Parish Constables / Douzaine Clerk** — parish rate, occupier registration
- **States of Alderney** (separate for Alderney parcels)
- **Chief Pleas of Sark** (separate for Sark parcels)

## ⚠️ Run quality notes

During this initial draft pass + 2026-05-27 validation patch:
- **TRP 2025 + 2026 tariff PDFs** ([gov.gg id=185042](https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=185042&p=0) for 2025, [gov.gg id=196847](https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=196847&p=0) for 2026) returned binary-only via WebFetch; both extract cleanly with pdftotext (2026-09-24) — e.g. 2026 B1.0 £2.25/unit, B1.1.5 £5.98/unit, B4.4 retail £15.23/unit; full per-category table still to be transcribed. The 3.2% YoY uplift + 5× derelict multiplier ARE confirmed via Collas Crill secondary + States Voting Records primary. **Next pass: pdftoppm/pdftotext both tariff PDFs or transcribe from a desktop browser to fill the per-category £ table.**
- **2025 + 2026 Tax Cap figures**: the gov.gg monetary-values spreadsheet ([id=185595](https://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=185595&p=0)) was returned as binary; specific 2025/2026 cap amounts not extracted via WebFetch. **Validation confirmed via Carey Olsen secondary** — "The cap remains the same for 2026" — so £60k Open Market + £160k qualifying + £320k worldwide hold for 2026. **Standard Charge rises £40k → £50k from 2026** (P.2025-121).
- **Document Duty bands** sourced via Lexology + Bloomberg Tax + Collas Crill secondary + parliament.gg 2026-16 primary. Full residential band table confirmed including the £2.5M–£5M band at **5.50%** (post-validation patch). **Cross-check the specific 2026 Ordinance text at [guernseylegalresources.gg](http://www.guernseylegalresources.gg) before signing.**
- **AML levy on Document Duty / Bond Duty schedule**: not verified at primary source in this draft. The 2025 Budget Collas Crill summary does not detail an AML levy as a separate line item. **Verify with Advocate at completion.**
- **Listing aggregator coverage** (price/m²): Guernsey's quarterly Residential Property Prices Bulletin (States of Guernsey Data & Analysis) is the canonical primary source. Aggregator-style price/m² benchmarks intentionally omitted — Guernsey is too small a market for DVF-style transaction databases; comparables sourced via licensed agents (Swoffers, Livingroom, Cooper Brouard).
- **Open Market Tax Cap £50,000 Document Duty trigger — practical purchase price**: the £50,000 threshold is from [gov.gg/taxcap](https://www.gov.gg/taxcap). Under the post-Nov-2024 band structure this is reached at **~£1.37M** (computed: 2.25% × £300k + 3.50% × £200k + 4.00% × £450k + 4.25% × £300k + 4.50% × £122.2k = £6,750 + £7,000 + £18,000 + £12,750 + £5,500 = £50,000). **Industry guidance cites ~£1.4M** (sources: [KPMG — *Moving to Guernsey*](https://kpmg.com/dp/en/services/tax/family-office-private-client/tax-in-guernsey.html) gives **£1.4m**; LTS-Tax factsheet — "£1.4m"; Locate Guernsey — "£1.4 million or more"). The industry figure matches the computed floor rounded up; there is no real gap (an earlier draft mis-summed the bands to ~£1.06M). **Use ~£1.37M as the computed floor and £1.4M as the industry-typical guidance figure.**

## Status

⚠️ **Draft — initial research wave + 2026-05-27 validation patches applied.** Density target ~400-500 lines met; some primary-source pulls deferred to next pass (see Run quality notes).

**Confidence**: **HIGH** for regime architecture, transaction process, Document Duty bands (including £2.5M–£5M @ 5.50%), Tax Cap structure (incl. 2026 currency check), Alderney two-regime distinction, Standard Charge £40k→£50k transition, TRP 5×-derelict + 3.2% uplift mechanics, and conveyancing flow — all primary-source verified via gov.gg + Royal Court + parliament.gg + Carey Olsen 2026 currency confirmation. **MEDIUM** for residual items (per-category TRP £ tariffs from 2025/2026 PDFs requiring text-extract; AML levy schedule; Q3 2025 bulletin primary PDF text-extract).

**Last verified**: 2026-05-27. Tax tracker entries re-checked 2026-09-24 (October and November regwatch waves, the November wave run early; see shared/regulatory-watch.md).

---

### Post-merge follow-up — regulatory-watch.md initial GG entries needed

On PR merge, [`shared/regulatory-watch.md`](../../shared/regulatory-watch.md) currently has **zero GG-specific entries** (grep confirmed during 2026-05-27 validation). The following initial entries should be added (date-stamped, sourced, tier-tagged, with `playbook_sections_touched` populated for each):

1. **Document Duty 2024 reform** — 25% threshold uplift effective 8 November 2024; new £5M+ band @ 7.00%; £2.5M–£5M band @ 5.50%. Source: 2025 Budget + parliament.gg 2026-16. Touches: `--tax` Document Duty section.
2. **Standard Charge raise** — £40,000 → £50,000 from year-of-charge 2026, per States proposition P.2025-121 (2026 Budget). Source: [parliament.gg P.2025-121](https://parliament.gg/parliamentary-business/propositions/P2025-121). Touches: `--tax` Tax Cap regime table.
3. **Alderney Property Tax Cap 2025** — replacement of legacy Alderney Cap (£65k for 2024 and 2025, ceased 31 Dec 2025) with £60k Alderney Property Tax Cap from 1 Jan 2025; £50k Alderney Document/Transfer/Leasehold Duty trigger. Source: gov.gg Monetary Values PDF + gov.gg guidance note M57 (id=199001). Touches: `--foreign-buyer` Alderney sub-section + `--tax` Tax Cap regime table.
4. **TRP 2026 tariffs published** — current-year tariff PDF at gov.gg id=196847. Source: [gov.gg id=196847](https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=196847&p=0). Touches: `--tax` TRP section + Source URL templates.
5. **PML 8/14/10-in-20 certificate ladder** — Population Management (Guernsey) Law 2016 (entry into force 3 April 2017); 8-yr Established Resident → 6-yr-further Permanent Resident (14 years total) → 10-years-in-20 retention rule for right of return. Source: Carey Olsen Guide + gov.gg/pmfaq + Population Management (Guernsey) Law 2016. Touches: `--foreign-buyer` PML certificate types table. (Tier likely 4 — narrative anchor for the playbook's central friction-mechanic; revisit cadence annual.)