Modernise Guyana’s outdated Rental Laws urgently

Mar 20, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor

The rental sector in Guyana is in urgent need of reform. Outdated legal framework and ineffective regulatory mechanisms have created an environment rife with disputes, unfair treatment, and, in some cases, violence.

The time has come for the government to modernise the Landlord and Tenant Act (Chapter 61:01), which dates back to 1919, and the Rent Restriction Act (Chapter 36:23), enacted in 1941, to reflect the realities of the modern rental market. These laws must ensure that both landlords and tenants are protected by clear, fair, and enforceable rules — not only for the renting of houses, but also for apartments, including those that may exist within larger homes.

A Market in Crisis: The Need for Fairness and Accountability

In Guyana, the lack of comprehensive and modern rental regulations has created a volatile market where tenants and landlords frequently find themselves in conflict. Landlords often fail to uphold their lawful obligations — applying inconsistent rental rates, discriminating against prospective tenants, and failing to maintain basic living standards such as working appliances or safe living conditions. Meanwhile, tenants are not without fault. Some abuse their tenancy arrangements, causing property damage, failing to pay rent, or breaching agreed-upon conditions — conduct that often escalates into heated confrontations, sometimes resulting in physical violence or arson, as public records have shown.

These issues expose significant gaps in Guyana’s rental laws, which fail to adequately regulate landlord-tenant relationships in houses and apartments alike, creating uncertainty and instability for both parties. Without modernized regulations, unscrupulous landlords and irresponsible tenants alike continue to exploit the system, leaving the courts as the only viable — yet often delayed — recourse for resolving disputes.

Learning from Other Jurisdictions: Clearer Rules, Stronger Protections

Modern rental frameworks in other regions offer valuable insights for Guyana. Well-regulated systems include several key features that balance the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants:

1. Clear Tenancy Agreements: Standardized leases ensure that all rental agreements outline key terms, conditions, and responsibilities. This prevents disputes and ensures all parties understand their obligations.
2. Fair and Transparent Rent Regulations: Rent control mechanisms ensure predictable rent increases while allowing landlords to maintain their properties. Such frameworks create stability for tenants and prevent exploitative rent hikes.
3. Maintenance and Repairs: Modern laws clearly outline the division of responsibility for repairs and maintenance. Landlords are accountable for ensuring the property — whether a house or an apartment — is safe, habitable, and equipped with functioning utilities. Tenants are responsible for reasonable care and preventing intentional damage.
4. Conflict Resolution Mechanisms: Specialized statutory bodies dedicated to resolving disputes between landlords and tenants have proven highly effective in reducing court backlogs and ensuring swift, impartial decisions. These bodies offer mediation, arbitration, and adjudication services — reducing hostility and ensuring disputes are resolved through dialogue rather than confrontation.
5. Protections Against Arbitrary Evictions: Robust tenant protection frameworks prevent landlords from evicting tenants without valid legal grounds while ensuring landlords have legal remedies when tenants breach tenancy terms.

The Path Forward: Creating a Stable and Predictable Rental Market

Modernizing Guyana’s rental laws must prioritize fairness, transparency, and accountability. By adopting a comprehensive framework that articulates the rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants — whether for houses or apartments — Guyana can foster a rental sector that protects vulnerable tenants while ensuring landlords can operate fairly and sustainably.

Moreover, establishing a Landlord and Tenant Mediation Board — modeled after effective conflict resolution bodies elsewhere — would provide a structured and accessible forum for resolving disputes. Such a system would reduce the burden on the courts and mitigate the risk of violent confrontations that too often arise when disputes are left unresolved.

The Landlord and Tenant Act (1919) and the Rent Restriction Act (1941) were products of a different era, reflecting outdated social and economic realities. The absence of modernized rental laws has led to instability, unfair treatment, and, in extreme cases, violence. A revised legal framework — one that ensures fairness, outlines clear responsibilities, and offers accessible conflict resolution mechanisms — is essential to protect tenants, support responsible landlords, and promote stability in the rental sector for both houses and apartments.

Regards,

Rawle A. Small

(Modernise Guyana’s outdated Rental Laws urgently)

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