Resolving Issues: Tenants & Landlords

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, many people are coping with new challenges as they rebuild devastated homes, work in less than ideal conditions, or figure out public transportation options. But if rumours are anything to go by, we are not coping so well with reported instances of price gouging by landlords.

But there is another side to the story according to lawyer Stephen Hall-Jones, who describes himself as “a concerned Caymanian who wants fairness and reason to prevail.” Mr. Hall-Jones has been providing advice to residents who find themselves in difficult rental situations.

“I have heard horror stories of terrible landlords,” explains Mr. Jones. “But I have also heard of landlords who are going well beyond reasonable norms in order to make sure relationships with tenants remain intact.”

To date, he has received numerous phone calls detailing both sides of the landlord/tenant issue and has offered advice to many. The worst case he has encountered involves a landlord who has rejected any level of temporary rent reduction and who threatened to terminate the lease of any tenant who claimed that such abatement should be made. On the other hand, he has also received calls from landlords trying to ensure that they are being fair with their tenants.

Tenants also complain of landlords unlawfully terminating fixed-term leases or refusing to return security deposits where damage has occurred and the tenant is forced to leave.

“I think we have reached the stage where complainants need to seek out an attorney or firm that deals with landlord/ tenant cases. Some firms undertake legal aide cases for those who qualify, its just a matter of seeking them out,” suggests Mr. Jones. “I am not conducting a crusade against law-abiding landlords, some of whom are behaving fairly and honestly, but I am appalled by the behaviour others are displaying in these trying times.”

In the UK, the Protection from Eviction Act (1977) makes acts such as unlawful termination an offence punishable in a court of law. However, the Cayman Islands does not have a similar law, leaving many people in complex situations with their landlords.