Sir/Madam,
I write to express growing concern about the state of the residential rental market in Antigua, which has become increasingly unmanageable for ordinary citizens.
What was once a reasonably balanced market has now spiraled into a situation where many locals can no longer afford a simple place to live. The rental prices being demanded today are, quite frankly, exorbitant and completely disconnected from the reality of local wages.
A major part of the problem is the absence of proper regulation. With no cap on rental increases, no standardized guidelines for pricing, and no effective oversight, landlords are free to set rates as high as they wish.
The result is a market driven not by fairness or community welfare, but by profit alone—often influenced by the short-term rental boom and the willingness of visitors and foreign workers to pay higher prices.
This unregulated environment has left many Antiguans scrambling. Young professionals are unable to move out and start independent lives. Families are forced to downsize into cramped or substandard housing.
Some residents are pushed into unsafe or unhealthy living conditions simply because they have no other options. It is heartbreaking that in our own country, many of us now feel like strangers with no affordable place to call home.
The government must step in. Clear policies—such as rent caps, incentives for affordable housing, and regulations that prevent speculative price gouging—are necessary to restore balance.
Other countries have implemented such measures successfully, proving that regulation can protect citizens without discouraging responsible landlords.
Housing is not a luxury; it is a fundamental necessity. If we are serious about improving the quality of life for Antiguans and safeguarding the dignity of our people, then addressing the housing crisis must be a national priority.
Regulating the residential rental market is not only justified—it is long overdue.
Respectfully, Concerned Citizen
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Lot of foreigner are coming to Invest in Antigua//How you think the demand of houses is going to be?
If the demand increase and the offer is low….The price will go up. That is normal. But is pretty clear that people want to pay coins to nice property. and force them to lower the price.
House is not a right.. Because you can share a place. But living alone that is privilege, isn’t a right. You can’t force other to offer a price for some asset that have high value just because you want to live alone or with your partner, and your salary isn’t enough to keep that lifestyle.
Of course with 1500 EC Salary isnt enough to rent something with 1000 ec market value.
There isn’t way a house can be affordable…Because the prices of construction materials are High like hell. and the cost of labor is high also. Any construction worker in Antigua today get at least 120 ec a day. That labor cost alone add a lot to the cost of building something.
Houses never was and never will be cheap. Regardless if government want to enforce some prices. That will make things worse, that will make Property owners pull out their properties from the market, and lets choices will be available.
With much respect @Concerned Citizen the high rental rates in housing has been hard-driven by this government. It obviously makes financial sense to them to the detriment of citizens trying to rent affordable homes.
The ABLP may outwardly show concern, but privately they want to an unregulated market in rental rates, because many tourists with deep pockets will pay the high asking prices.
That’s market capitalism at a glance!
Even well known Cabinet Ministers charge exorbitant five figure sums for anyone to rent out their priorities – are you telling me that they are going to legislate to curtail the financial returns on their housing investments? No way!
They’ll probably try to curtail anyone involved in vacation rentals like Airbnb, and definitely not out of kindness of their hearts for affordability for locals, but more likely to preserve the precious Hotel Sector that lobbyists need to protect at all costs.
An interesting development. Let’s see what happens next?
Yall are clearly oblivious to the cost of property insurance, labor and maintenance costs and the ever rising building materials prices…keep expecting much for little…it’s cheaper to keep our places empty than to rent for what yall expecting
People are playing between $1500-$2300 a month in rent. That’s in some cases higher than a mortgage. It’s sad to say. However, it is what it is. Building a house in today’s economy isn’t cheap.
Seriously the Government need to step in. I know Gaston not going to play around with this
Some of them landlords too damn wicked especially the one with the green and cream apartments
Here in Dominica there is a Cap for Rental properties .I own a one Betroom apt., Fully furnished water included and I cannot go more than EC.800. 00 a month. It’s about time things Change where House rent is concerned. Too much greedy people without conscience .Some of them forget where they come from growing up where they had to pay Rent.
The prices of these homes are outrageous abd demand has not dictated those prices, it was greed. If you can not analyze economics and community to see that prices are way beyond what demand had influenced in pricing then please leave economic analysis to those with certificates and awards in economics, business and society.
The prices for rentals in Antigua are procedurally and substantively unconscionable. They are out of line with law and economics. The landlords are just outright greedy and none of my properties are or will be overpriced. You folks are just greedy.
I have a brand new 2 bedroom, one bath, with its own tank of water and public water supply and the rent for this brand new 2 bedroom and 1 bath is $700 a month. I continue putting morality and legality first. You greedy people.
Is now? Both residential and commercial places are woefully over-priced in Antigua and Barbuda. But this happens where the demand is high. With the influx of non nationals to Antigua and Barbuda over the years, the demand for housing has sky rocketed and owners are prepared to rent just about anything these days and some of the places are nothing short of deplorable but because the demand is high, they get them rented nonetheless. And in many cases, tenants have to undertake repairs and maintenance themselves because owners fail to do anything other than stretching their hands monthly for their rent. There need to be some control on the basic standard of place that owners are allowed to rent – (Monitored by a Rent Control Authority) At the end of the day, tenants must make certain that everything is covered and documented in a legal contract.
I have travelled to many countries around the world and this is what I have observed: In most countries, the cost of rental housing matches salaries in a way that makes sense e.g. a small one bedroom basement apartment in another person’s home has a very cheap cost that anyone could afford. Then for another $100 up is a studio apartment in a real apartment building, then for another $100 up is a one bedroom apartment, then add another $100 for a two bedroom apartment, then finally another $100 for a three bedroom apartment. For houses, there are row houses/townhouses where multiple dwellings are fused together that are affordable for most small families. Then there are fully detached houses that cost the most for larger families. When the children move out, older persons sometimes sell their large home and downsize to something more manageable for them in their latter years perhaps with an extra bedroom for visiting family. Housing costs also vary by community, nearby amenities etc. So, everyone can find something that makes sense for their stage of life. In Antigua, there is no rhyme or reason to the madness that is the housing market. It should not be a privilege to have basic housing at an affordable cost for local salaries. This used to be possible in the past but rental prices have doubled over the last 5 years while salaries haven’t done so. Also, persons are putting expensive rentals in otherwise affordable neighbourhoods. Persons are adding unnecessary features such as large rooms and fancy doors and leaving out the essential ones such as a backup cistern for our drought-prone country. So, there needs to be some property developers who put some more thought into what locals actually need at the price they can afford or regulation is needed in the market. Even foreign renters are complaining about our outrageous prices and pointing out that we are actually pricing our own sons and daughters out of the market. There will be nothing left for them in the future.
Rent in Antigua is ridiculously too high now. People are not asking to pay coins or pennies for ‘nice’ apartments, as one commenter said. The point is there has been an obvious decrease in affordable houses and apartments. It is very hard nowadays to find one that matches the average man’s wages. This is setting the stage for many issues. The government needs to step in and address this. It’s overdue.
@very well said..Stop lying..First give the names of those countries. That is pure lie. Rent is almost half of your salary in almost all countries. Government in almost all countries take from 10% to 50 % of your salary as Tax. don’t try to lie to us. In London you must pay for a little Room a ridiculous amount of MOney, same in major cities.. Stop that lie. You can take a rent or refuse it.. Share space.. or Take a loan and build your home.. Is pure envy to those who have property to slash them because they rent it. Nobody is obligating you. Is a choice to live alone. You can share a house with 4 people. Ahh.. but you want privacy.. Then Privacy have a cost, and constructions materials are high. So instead getting loan to buy luxuries vehicles, why people don’t take loans for a house? Look yesterday how many people at Cedar Valle taking part of this vehicles show.. Willing to take 10 years loan in vehicles over 150K ec… A VEHICLE.. just to drive and show to the public they “Have money” but at same time they complain rent is too expensive.. Lmao
The rent cost is very high, costing house to have more than 2 adults to live in one house just to make rent meet and its very hard for low income AND even single mother to survive.. the government need to get this undercontroll very soon…. the money you spend on rent you can buy your own house within that year or paying rent …
Antigua have the prices of the big apple.(New York)
When you have so much money coming in to your island, that should be a relieve to the resident of the country, not a detriment.
If tourist and foreigners wants to come in and spent big money to visit or live, let that burden be on them, but for the people of the soil, citizens, the housing market has to be regulated at a fair market value..
Antigua cannot survive on a free market economic concept. You must have regulations, simply for the fact that noyt is actually manufactured in Antigua.
These types of leisure markets must be regulated..that’s just how it has to be.
This is where the government should be working for its citizens.
“Regulating the residential rental market is not only justified—it is long overdue”
absolutely true!
@sm I agree with you that @ very well said lie. They need to name the countries to which they can’t.
Regulation is good but with all the i’s and T’s dotted and crossed.
To build a 20 x 30 wooden T111 house now on the average is 156K, SIDEBOARD and concrete is ave 300k
Check the mortgage rate for 20 years you normally pay twice the cost when the bank finishes with you.
Check how much the investor has to pay the bank for that 20 years before making any profit. Add insurance for that same 20 years.
Now if the Dominican want to invest that amount of money and rent your 2 bedroom house for 700.00 or 800.00 a month, please do that we in Antigua will surely be happy. And furnished? We will be dancing down the streets. What size 2 bedroom @ Dominican? 10 x 12? What you call furnished? A click on the wall and 2 pictures? Maybe a door mat? I could be wrong but please send us the pictures of that building with its interior, location,
At the same time, landlords need to get their acts together and give people proper living standards to make their lives comfortable.
Floors need to be repaired, roofs leaking, house need painting, no water tank, come on landlords wake up and give people value for their monies. Centipede in houses, bats in the roofs.
All in all everyone should be valued.
There is no comparison between house rent in Antigua and Dominica.
Cost of living is different.
@ my way of helping proof need for this, send us directions, show us the proof, you are the landlord for this 700.00 with tank etc?
Labourer cost is 120.00 to 150.00 a day
Skilled workers 300.00 to 400.00 a day
You pay more for labour than materials depends.
I think if persons who pays rent should actually go to a financial institution and enquire how much it is to own a property, then work towards that goal “if” it is your goal because sometimes according to your priorities you place other events in place of that goal.
Let’s be real also, at no time ever in this lifetime will everyone own their own home.
SOME OF U JUST WAH LIVE IN PEOPLE PLACE FOR FREE…EVEN WHEN U GET THE $700 A MONTH SPOT Y’ALL STILL PAYING LATE….JUS GIMME A BREAK….LOOK FOR WHERE U CAN AFFORD….
For the most part rental prices are fair, of course you will find some prices are a little high. Most people will pay on time for a few months and after that is pure hell to get your rent. There must be a way to make it fair for both landlord and tenant.
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