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By Aabigayle McIntosh
The Prices and Consumer Affairs Division is making inroads in the process of revising the decades-old Rent Restriction Act.
Director Orrin Steel said the bill could be completed by next month, and by then, “It will be submitted to Parliament; they will have to, after they do, and they have to do some public consultations as well.”
The current laws date back to 1969, and according to Steele, do not address several issues affecting the rental market today.
This includes the introduction of weekly rental agreements.
“How do you apply something that says, okay, I’m paying from week to week, and you’re telling somebody you have to give them 30 days’ notice because the landlord, they were saying that they don’t have to give 30 days because we are offering a week to week. It should be a week; the law doesn’t cover that. So, they want to give a week’s notice as well,” Steel said.
Due to the lack of updated regulations, many tenants are faced with problematic contracts.
Last October, the Cabinet approved an update to the outdated Rent Restriction Act from 1947. This move was in response to concerns from residents about rent rates and rent collection challenges.
The government said then it was seeking to establish fairness and efficiency in the rental sector, emphasizing the need for regulation despite the free market economy. Consequently, they will also establish a Rent Restriction Board.”
this really need to e looked into these landlord killing ppl lots of us working for 800-100 a forth night many of us an these rents are 2500 how in the world can we afford such????? this isn’t a high paying country why should rent be so high
you have houses too many houses for 1200US 4000US omg this isn’t a US country an visitors will not pay such nonsense money.
my last house I livein cost 1400 an it kept leaking an landlord kept promising t fix an never fix these are wickedness!!!!! these are
I believe its best leave Antigua an seek job else where because the house prices isn’t right an u have some expensive house an wen u go visit there’s nothing expensive about it because it falling apart come on mon I personally would not invite anyone to come live in Antigua because of the house price an these landlord excuse are board expensive this expensive that expensive to build kmt the ppl of Antigua need help an nobody stepping in with the nonsense prices they asking for
I hope that this committee make a different this is why I will move back to America because America listen to what the ppl has to say sometimes when I finish psy rent I dnt have money leave back for kids school etc this is nonsense I packing up an leaving. I would strongly advise person do not stay here an suffer under these landlord because living in there house u won’t ever have urs because if you paying 1500 a month for a one bedroom or two bedroom how can u go bank to look house loan wheremoney gonna come from to pay bank kmt. I am not telling nobody how to rent there place but there should have been a limit along time ago on these prices. gas station not paying a fortune supermarket not paying a fortune security worst an other local job you ppl too wicked mon rent you all house make u all profit but dnt kill poor ppl in doing it