Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has vowed that his Labour Party Administration will be addressing the quality and conditions of rental apartments in Dominica.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the handing over ceremony of 60 apartments in Bath Estate and Elmshall on Thursday.
Skerrit said that there have too many complaints by renters about the conditions of some of these properties.
“I am sending a message to those of you who are renting homes for people in Dominica that we will be addressing this issue because I go to too many homes and there are too many complaints in this country about the condition and the quality of rental apartments in Dominica,” he said.
Skerrit highlighted some of the challenges renters are being faced with.
“No electricity in some cases, no washroom facilities, infested countertops and kitchen cupboards, toilets not functioning properly, and you have to be walking after a landlord day in day out …but let a month pass without you paying them and they want to kick you out,” he stated.
Prime Minister Skerrit mentioned that this as a serious matter confronting our country.
“There are too many landlords who are taking advantage of poor unsuspecting citizens and we have a duty to address this,” he stated.
Skerrit further stated that his Government is not relenting with their move towards ensuring that every citizen have a decent home to call their own in respective of who they are.
This is a classic case of the “Strong Man” as the problem solver in every situation. Note that in his speech, he did not name nor did he specify the government department that will enforce rental rules on the island. He did not cite any laws for those who are seeking redress.
If this government is unable to stop one individual from burning coals in River Estate, do you really believe that they can address such a widespread issue with housing? The answer is a resounding no.
The Government must look into property owners who have built substandard rental apartments without Physical Planning permission.. There is a prominent case in the Checkhall Valley.. The owner has been taken to court twice as far as I aware and no effective action has been taken. Environmental Health has also complained.
“infested countertops and kitchen cupboards, toilets not functioning properly….”
I thought he was talking about the Marigot hospital or Portsmouth Police Station.
What i do not realize is in fact how you are not actually much more neatly-liked
than you might be now. You’re very intelligent. You already know thus
considerably in the case of this matter, produced me in my opinion imagine it from so many varied angles.
Its like women and men don’t seem to be fascinated except it is one thing to do
with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always care for it up!
You have a choice to rent from who you want…………………if the Apartments does not fit your standard, do not rent from that person..Simple solution.
Hope your Apartments in NY meets all the requirement.
Descent and affordable housing is a priority …..In the US it have low income housing..It is mandated by the federal Government…They subsidies the income bracket….They also get utility allowance…Many folk are enjoying,yet some are not paying the minimal rent on time..I believe they pay 33% of the rent…Some times the rent is $600 or $700 plus and the tenant only pay $5 0r 10$ base on their income…The house must have Water Heater,Stove and Fridge and many of these public housing they dont pay for water….
Good job Skerrit. We must not tolerate slumlords.
Dear Opposition PM Skerritte will be calling Election soon, get ready. Soon he will be paying the public servants. Remember I told you so when it comes. Ha ha the ball game has started.
Skerrit`s mentality is Oxymoron behaviour: Check this.
“There are too many landlords who are taking advantage of poor unsuspecting citizens and we have a duty to address this,” he stated….
Lets deal with the first quote, which we Dominicans feel should read: “There are too many corrupt and bad Labour governments with immature Prime Ministers who are taking advantage of poor unsuspecting citizens and we the people of Dominica, represented by the UWP, DFP, PSU etc have a duty to address this,” ..stated by the people of Dominica. Skerrit Must Go
Now check this: 2ns quote should read “……….too many complaints in this country about the condition and the poor, corrupt quality of extreme corrupt Labour government and rental apartments ( eg.Cock st.),” he said…
and: “his Government is not relenting with their corrupt move towards ensuring that every citizen have a decent government in the UWP to call their own irrespective of who they are….but not Labour.”
Skerrit…
Before you take care of renters issue address the garbage pick up which is causing serious health hazard in the country.
PM you said it all, unsuspecting poor people. You know our people are poor, yet you will not create an environment for them to work themselves out of poverty but only provide HANDOUTS every day.
Don’t you realized if they had better WAGES they would not stay in these rental properties and the landlord would have no option but to upgrade the property to attract tenants.
The landlords are providing rental property the POOR people of Dominica can afford.
Note: I am always for better living conditions but this is the reality on the ground.
@ Real, some landlords are very greedy and nasty set of people when wages goes up rent goes up it is the same every where you go around the world.
pm my boy stop running all over the place we need to know about our passports and the moneys you and your good friends have all over the place please stop playing like all of us a your three KIDS at my home my mum and dad always tell us who cant hear will FEEL
pm should give landlord cbi money so they can upgrade. he forget he put vat on rental plus all other fees.and he should give tenants income so they can pay well
Dominicans do not fall for this.The politicians have their own homes included in Dominica and abroad.
You need jobs in Dominica, not hustling to pay a house rent.
PM should give all landlords CBI money and let them upgrade their buildings
PM should give all landlords cbi money so they can upgrade their buildings
Me, I’m not renting for people in Dominica period! That is too troublesome,. It have good tenants but also bad ones. Better put your money in the credit union and have a quiet life.
Why are you always in the People`s faces?? Where are the rest of the Ministers?? What`s the reason for all these Ministers?? Why don`t you all do the work the people put you all in Government to do??
Our dear leader does not sound like a real doctor.
He speaks like my friend in the rumshop.
seems like our Dear Leader does not know the difference between the Renter and the Tennant
Well yes Sah! How many “apartment ” buildings we have about so. If you notice apartment building Northside in tip top shape. What people doing is renting houses. ..dwelling houses. Not apartments in the true sense of the word. Anyway, it is not his business per se. There should be some agency to deal with them things. He knows well that is not how things work but he want to be in all sauce. That cannot be right. That is overreach. Wake up people wake up.
As soon as an agency is established then it will be the responsibility of that agency where tenants will have recourse to lodging their complaints and seek redress. Nevertheless, he is the PM of a small country and he has a right to comment about those uncaring landlords and whatever is remiss and affect his nationals. This is a caring PM. Give him credit that is due.
what about those renting villas?
Well,
1. make a muster to rent (apartment conditions & service conditions),
2. give some advantage fo those, who are renting by muster,
3. control it :-)
Those that you are giving to the labourites are fully loaded? That’s good!! I do hope that you will pay the public servants so that they too can have the basic amenities at their homes. On a measly monthly salary of $1200.00 IN MANY CASES,many public servants are hollering “Papa Bondieu”..Wonder when you will strengthen the private sector so that jobs will be created and people who are getting free money for no work, will understand that a country can only grow when people are at work. With this critical factor absent, Dominica will only become a second Venezuela.
SKERRIT MUST GO!!
SKERRIT MUST GO!!!
SKERRIT MUST GO NOW!!!
Prime Minister, go after them. Some people love to receive money for services but they do not like to deliver the services.
Dominica should have a Landlord and Tenant Act and also a Landlord and Tenant Board.
People must live by the Golden Rule. What you do not want for yourself, do not do to others. As Our Lord said: “This is the Law.” Obviously the same Law should apply for human beings of today. These landlords are Christians. Shortchange tenants and one day you will bear the consequences.
Landlords expect tenants to promptly pay when due. Well, you must ensure that the repairs are promptly performed. Landlords cause much stress for tenants when they fail to honor their obligations.
Tenants, do not continue to run after those types of landlords. You should sue them.
A Landlord and Tenant Act should be enacted without much ado. The government should deal with these landlords accordingly. Waste no time about that.
Who feels knows it. Love thy neighbor as thyself. If those who work in Roseau commute every day… what would be rent fees be like? If we had mobile homes… what would be house rent like? Some Landlords forget the they once tenants. We do have some delinquents on rent payment but some houses don’t worth that amount. Locals can hardly get homes to rent…. Some places overseas they have a policy :” Born Here” I pray some Landlords will learn the lesson from the Rich Man and Lazarus.. In my Father’s
house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Pray for Landlords and bless them. Tenants pay your rent and I pray you may have a house of your own. I pray for those family members who charged rent to their family members after their parents die because their service is longer required. Money is not all…. Blessings table can turn
Skeritt skeritt, All of a sudden, Where were you since last election/ Weren’t these things issues all the time/ Then why now?You want to fix everything one time now?
Skeritt ,I will keep on asking you this question, What is it that you are about to ask of Dominicans That have you wanting to adress even un existing nneeds in Dominicanow? Skerit ”’ for twenty years now your government is there and those needs are there, Why now?, I hope this trick will not work on dominicans this time, Bring it out, we are waiting
This issue should be addressed immediately and that Government need to regulate rental pay and that we should set up a Rent Court in Dominica. We need more government regulations in a lot of things. Too many folks taking advantage of other folks. The practice needs to cease.
This is why the study of economics should be compulsory in school. What you’re suggesting sounds great until you find it that it leads to shortages. Then you make more government mandates to try to address that, and you screw things up even more. The end result? Venezuela.
A department/agency should be specifically established for that purpose. If there is none for now, the PM has a right to speak and to address this serious issue.
Uh what world are you living in, Govt properties are regulated.
You cannot let me how much to rent my private house for. I agree
things have to be in good condition but when it comes to price no way. You
use the electric you pay for it. Not obligated to provide internet or washing machine.
In these modern times of technology, the house/apartment should be wired for TV, phone and internet services. Should you expect the tenant to install them? If they do, when they vacate, they can cut the wires. If they leave with only informing the provider that will cut the service, you, the landlord will gain from them, what they paid for these installations.
For a fully furnished place, washer and dryer are not obligated to be provided. However, the more amenities there are, the more rent could be charged.
As for pricing, there should be a limit how much a landlord could charge. If you think you can charge whatever you want in rent, the sky will be the limit. Surely, you should not gorge your tenant.
is dat some people want to rent house fully furnished with no internet, telephone, or washing machines, I mean at least let me pay for the internet and telephone fine, but the facilities not even wired in the house come on man
These matters are necessary and need to be better done in Dominica. A house should not be built/completed without telephone and internet wiring. The government must ensure that this is done.
When the renters taken up occupancy, their responsibility is to contact the telephone and internet provider to provide these services which they obviously have to pay for.
This include an electrical and water outlet for a washer and dryer.
A fully furnished house/apartment should contain fridge, stove, washer, dryer with furniture of course.
All houses/apartments, when constructed should be wired for telephone, TV and internet service. This should be standard.
Tenants should not have to wire those rental houses/apartments. If they do, the cost should revert to the construction company and/or landlord to bear the cost of these installations.
Pm get a life
So true…….get a decent political life. Satan cannot correct sins……..
you have to repent first and get out of office. Skerrit must Go
I hope the apartment that he is handing down to all the laborites have the same code of ethics, rubbish pick up, maintenance , people fixing the pluming, excetra , making sure they pay there rent on time, there by giving the Dominican taxes payers back there money in rental fee.[ and not just giving them a free ride.]
In this age, all houses/apartments should be constructed for TV, telephone and internet connection. When tenants take up occupancy, if they so wish, they will telephone those providers to connect those services and commence paying for them. A connection fee may apply.
Garcon, that ‘fix it’ team of Skerrit not playing eh….. they are bombarding us with this pretty perfect and immaculate image of the Saint PM.
You know is best we just fall and worship at Saint Skerrit’s feet!!!!
Let’s give up the fight for transparency, fight against corruption, let’s not complain about the frivolous spending of CBI moneys, let’s not bring up discussions of how the PM, his family, his boys and their family are living like the rich emperors of Dominica …LETS NOT EVER MENTION THE HORRIBLE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, THE SLOWEST GDP OR BEG FOR AN INCREASE IN SALARIES!!!!
DOMINICANS, let’s just bow down and give up because this IMAGE OF SAINTHOOD, THIS IMAGE OF A DISCIPLE, LIKE PETER AND JOHN, THIS IMAGE OF THIS GREAT SAINT PM IS BEING SHOVED DOWN OUR THROATS. ……………….after 17yrs He is now worried about rental properties conditions….BEL BEF
People as you get me angry. Some of you senseless people which is what you project in your comments, always talk garbage which do not help anyone whatsoever and has absolutely nothing to do with the article. You can’t even stick to the article.
Try renting a house which has no telephone and internet wiring (in this age) which you may have to install yourself at an exorbitant cost and it is not your house. No renter should have to bear that cost. The landlord did not ensure the house was wired for telephone and internet service. This should be the builders’ responsibility. Some type of builder who would ignore these essentials.
Try living in one where landlords failed to honor their obligations for repairs to their tenants as they continue to collect rent and expect it to be paid on time.
Use your head next time.
You miss one let us just stay ignorant and dumb!