Residents asked to lodge complaints against landlords with the Rental Committee

RESIDENTS ASKED TO LODGE THEIR COMPLAINTS TO THE RENTAL COMMITTEE — if landlords are taking advantage

By Andrew Bishop

Great Bay — Residents are being advised by the representatives of the Housing Committee that oversees the cost of rental properties on the island to contact them in cases of over-pricing of apartment buildings. According to Edward “Eddie” Jacobs who is a current employee of the committee he stated that once the property or the apartment cost Naf 200,000.00 they have the authority to regulate the rental.

“We have been hearing about all the advantage that the residents have been subjected to by their landlords but they are afraid of coming forward because they are afraid that they could lose the apartment to any other potential client,” said Jacobs.

He noted that in many cases other potential clients are willing to pay whatever price the landlords are asking to secure an apartment. “We cannot do anything about that unless the tenant or potential tenant lodges a complaint with the department,” he confirmed.

Since the passage of the hurricanes of 2017, property owners have “jacked up the prices for rentals” to the extent that has resulted in many persons not able to acquire affordable homes. The landlords on the other end are saying that the cost of home repairs are astronomical and as a result they pass on the cost to the tenants.

There have been numerous cases where the landlords have asked the tenants to remove themselves from the premises so as to raise the rents under the guise of doing repairs or selling the property.

Residents are asked to lodge complaints to the Rental Committee if they are faced with these situations.

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Photo caption: Damaged home in Belvedere. File photo by SMN-News.