Jamaica still operates a form of rent control. The Rent Assessment Board, usually called the Rent Board, administers it under the Rent Restriction Act. It sits within the ministry responsible for housing and deals with registration of rented premises, rent assessments, permitted increases, exemptions and complaints from both landlords and tenants.
What the Board does
The Act requires premises it covers to be registered with the Board so that a standard rent can be assessed. Assessment looks at the value of the property and associated costs, and the result caps what can lawfully be charged. Landlords can apply for increases, for example after property tax rises or improvements, and the Board publishes the general level of annual increase it allows without a full reassessment. Owners of qualifying commercial premises may apply for a certificate of exemption, and some classes of property, such as certain higher-value or newer dwellings, may fall outside parts of the Act. The Board advises that a house built after 1980 is not automatically exempt.
Disputes
Tenants who believe they are being overcharged can complain and seek a refund of excess rent, and landlords can raise complaints about arrears or misuse of premises. The Board consults both sides before acting. Unresolved matters on arrears, refunds and illegal increases may go to a rent tribunal with court-like powers, and courts generally expect parties to try the Board first. Possession claims still require the grounds set out in the Act and, where disputed, a court order.
Why it matters
Many private landlords, especially of informal rooms and older houses, have never registered, and many tenants are unaware the Board exists. Yet a landlord who has charged above the permissible rent can face refund claims, and an unregistered tenancy can complicate an eviction. Investors buying rental property should ask whether the units are registered and what rent has been assessed. Reform of the Act has been discussed for years, so check for changes before relying on any particular rule.
Few comparable systems remain; New York’s rent stabilisation and the regulated tenancy regimes of some Canadian provinces are the closest equivalents.
Related terms: The Rent Restriction Act, Excess rent, Rent, Landlord, Rent book, Rental agreement terms.
Accurate as at October 2026. Permitted increases are set by the Board and can change.
