The Government of Antigua and Barbuda, acting through the Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Office of the Attorney General, has officially notified the general public that the previously planned public consultation for the draft Landlord and Tenant (Residential Tenancies) Bill 2026 has been temporarily postponed. The rescheduled session will now convene at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 19, 2026, within the premises of the national Parliament Building.
In an official statement issued by the Ministry, representatives extended a formal, sincere apology to all members of the public for the last-minute nature of the postponement notification, and for any logistical disruptions, scheduling conflicts, or inconvenience this sudden change may have caused to attendees who had already made arrangements to join the original event. The Ministry has reaffirmed an open invitation for all community members to attend the rescheduled consultation, with a special call for direct participation from residential property landlords, long-term and short-term tenants, and key relevant stakeholders including the national Bar Association, housing advocacy groups, and real estate industry representatives, to contribute to the deliberations over the proposed new rental regulation legislation.
The draft 2026 bill has been developed in direct response to a steady, high volume of formal complaints submitted to the Ministry of Legal Affairs over recent years from both sides of the residential rental ecosystem. These submissions covered a wide range of longstanding unresolved pain points: unregulated, excessive rental hikes, arbitrarily imposed exorbitant late payment penalties, extended periods of unpaid rent that leave landlords in financial distress, unresolved disputes over outstanding utility bill liabilities, and widespread confusion over the distinct legal rights, responsibilities, and obligations that apply to both landlords and tenants under the island nation’s current, outdated rental rules. The core objective of the proposed legislation is to replace the fragmented, decades-old existing regulatory structure with a streamlined, transparent, and fit-for-purpose modern legal framework that governs all residential tenancy arrangements across Antigua and Barbuda.
The upcoming public consultation is designed as a dedicated, interactive public forum where every attendee will have the opportunity to share their first-hand lived experiences with residential renting, voice unaddressed concerns, and submit targeted, practical recommendations that will be integrated into the final drafting process of the bill before it is tabled for parliamentary debate. Government officials have emphasized that broad, diverse public participation is strongly encouraged, as the administration moves forward with its broader ongoing legislative modernization agenda to craft a tenancy regulatory system that accurately aligns with the current dynamics, challenges, and realities of Antigua and Barbuda’s fast-evolving private rental housing market. The Ministry of Legal Affairs closed its announcement by extending gratitude to the public for their patience, understanding, and continued collaborative support for the law reform process.
Public Consultation on Landlord and Tenant Bill Postponed
