I want to bring attention to an issue quietly devastating many Caymanian families. Despite its wealth, the Cayman Islands has left renters completely defenceless. Landlords face no accountability and are free to exploit tenants as they wish. Renters are subjected to price gouging, withheld deposits, homes in disrepair, and uninhabitable conditions – mould, broken appliances, pests and no legal recourse.
The Residential Tenancies Act was passed in 2009 [but never enacted], but with no enforcement, landlords continue to profit while we suffer in silence.
As a young Caymanian mother, this crisis has become my reality. My civil partner, our 3-year-old daughter and I are being evicted from a room we rent in a shared house – no washer, no dryer, and mould growing inside. We have no lease to protect us, and now our landlord claims she’s ‘renovating’ – yet we know this isn’t true, as the other tenants, who are expats, haven’t been asked to leave.
We’re being forced out, with nowhere to go, no laws to defend us, and no government support. Every potential home we inquire about turns us away with the same response: “We don’t accept children.”
It’s heartbreaking to feel forgotten in your own country. The Cayman Islands is one of the most expensive places in the world to live, with a minimum wage of only $6. For families like mine, the skyrocketing rent and lack of regulations make survival impossible. How can we afford to live when the system seems designed to work against us? And how much longer can the government ignore this?
There is no rent board, no rental office to turn to. No agency to stand up for tenants being exploited by their landlords. We are facing a housing crisis, but more than that – it’s a human crisis.
The government’s inaction has left families, including mine, at the mercy of landlords who care more about profits than people. The Cayman Islands deserves better, and so do we.
I hope this story sheds light on the urgent need for renter protection and reform.
I hope this story sheds light on the urgent need for renter protection and reform.
Eja Parchment
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As a landlord myself it’s tiring to read about people who claim they are being exploited.
Why is this woman being evicted? Could it be she hasn’t paid her rent? Or is a nuisance to other tenants?
No smart, professional landlord will evict a decent, paying customer for no reason and lose the steady income stream.
Nor is landlording an incredibly profitable business. If one is lucky one gets a positive cash flow of about 2% on the money invested. One can earn double that by just keeping the money in the bank, and a lot less hassle.
Maybe you’ll get some capital appreciation. Or maybe your property will be flooded or washed away.