The Government has opened a public consultation on proposed changes to Cayman’s residential tenancy rules, tenancy agreements, notice procedures and dispute handling under the Islands’ residential tenancy framework.

The consultation began on 7 August 2026 and runs until 20 September 2026, with tenants, landlords, property managers, legal professionals, businesses, community organisations and members of the public invited to take part.

The draft amendments were presented by Government as a way to update Cayman’s residential tenancy framework and clarify the process for landlords and tenants.

Government said the consultation was intended to gather views before final decisions are made. The draft changes will still need to be reviewed, amended and brought through the legislative process before any residential tenancy legislation changed. Planning Minister Jay Ebanks MP said the public should be able to comment on the proposals.

"Before any decisions are made, we want to hear directly from the people who will be affected,” he said. “Whether you are a tenant, a landlord, a property manager or simply someone with an interest in this legislation, I encourage you to review the consultation documents and share your views. Good legislation is improved through public participation, and this consultation is an important opportunity for us to listen. Every substantive submission received during the consultation period will be reviewed and considered as part of the policy and legislative process."

The draft proposes creating a Residential Tenancies Commission to replace the existing Residential Tenancies Commissioner. The proposed Commission would mediate disputes between landlords and tenants, process applications and produce an annual report.

Government said the wider aim was to strengthen the way disputes were handled under Cayman’s rental laws and to make the law more practical for everyday use. The draft also covered the information that would need to appear in tenancy agreements, the service of notices, the administration of the system and the penalties linked to certain obligations.

One proposed change would require residential tenancy agreements to include Government-issued photo identification for both landlords and tenants, along with evidence that the landlord owned the property or had legal authority to rent it. The aim was to make it clearer who each side was dealing with and whether the person offering the property had the right to do so.

The draft also sought to clarify certain payments and obligations. Another proposal would require landlords to notify tenants within five days after a rented property was placed on the market for sale. The proposals also allowed for additional methods of serving termination notices where standard service was not possible.

For longer residential tenancy agreements, registration would be possible under the proposed framework, although it would remain voluntary. The draft would also update offences and penalties involving records, receipts, unlawful entry, seizure of belongings and quiet enjoyment of rented premises.

Landlords and tenants invited to respond

The consultation comes at a time when housing affordability remains a major concern for many Cayman residents. While the proposed law could reshape the rental process, it could not by itself solve the wider shortage of affordable homes or the gap between wages and housing costs.

Youth Parliamentarian Jelitza Ebanks said renting in Cayman is especially difficult for young Caymanians. She said rising costs were putting pressure on people trying to live and work on the Islands.

“Renting in Cayman as a young Caymanian is relatively hard to do. With employers being hesitant or unwilling to increase wages to match the rising cost of living, it is difficult to find even a decent 1-bedroom apartment, which can cost around CI $2,000 to CI $3,000 a month. When rent takes up such a large portion of our income, there is very little left for groceries, utilities, transportation, savings, emergencies, or simply enjoying a decent life,” she said.

Ebanks added that some people were forced to work more than one job to keep up with day-to-day expenses. She said that could affect both mental and physical health.

“This can then result in people working two jobs just to afford their basic needs, which can negatively affect a person both mentally and physically,” she said.

She also reiterated that current protections for tenants were not strong enough. In her view, new rules should be clearer on rent increases, deposits, evictions, notice periods, maintenance and the condition of rented homes.

“I don’t feel tenants have enough protection today,” she said. “There needs to be a better way to balance protecting landlords and ensuring tenants have stability and security.”

Speaking to The Caymanian Journal anonymously, a West Bay resident expressed concern over the safety of rental properties.

“I find that landlords in my experience have neglected the safety of their tenants by delaying or avoiding necessary repairs to property, when its mentioned they are also changing the rental fees to deter the tenants from staying any longer as if the tenant has added to their maintenance expenses. The biggest challenge is that tenants are not being informed by landlords of new neighbours that are also renting from them and no respect is given to the current tenants of the changes that are being made to accommodate the new tenants like parking for example. There's no safe and confidential avenue for tenants to make reports without risk of being evicted. Of course, why not? As of these days, as consumers, we are being given the worst options, and sometimes, as the only options. Changes are inevitable, and its necessary where there's need for it.”

He added:

“I sure hope so, as tenants need to feel safe in their given housing state where real estate is so expensive its our only option to rent and as we are paying for something, I feel we should have some feeling of security that our government is caring for the well-being of tenants because we all have to work towards living and housing ourselves.”

Long delay since the law was passed

There was also a long history behind the current review. Cayman’s Residential Tenancies Law was passed in 2009 but was never brought into force. Earlier work on landlord and tenant legislation followed problems that emerged after Hurricane Ivan and eventually led to the development of a statutory framework.

More than a decade later, Government returned to the issue and opened the public consultation again. The current draft had not been approved, and its contents could still change after the public response was reviewed.

After the consultation closes on 20 September 2026, Government said it would consider the submissions before deciding what changes should be made and how the legislation should proceed. For renters, landlords and property managers across the Cayman Islands, the result could shape how disputes are managed and what information must be set out in future tenancy agreements.

The wider issue was affordability. The consultation came against continuing concern about rents and housing costs, but the draft amendments did not by themselves address wider shortages of affordable homes or pressure on wages.