Housing
How to find a place to stay in Jamaica.
Renting a home in Jamaica can be both exciting and frustrating, as the process often comes with bureaucratic hurdles, high demand, and potential legal issues. Whether you’re returning by force or by choice, navigating the rental market requires patience and caution to avoid common pitfalls.
One of the biggest challenges renters face is figuring out where to live. Jamaica is a big island of 14 parishes. Think of each parish as a State or Province, which means cost of living, opportunities and way of life are slightly different. Consider what you want to do and find a parish that offers it, while keeping safety in mind. Headquarters and main offices for most government agencies for documents you’ll need are in Kingston, St. Andrew.
The other big challenge is securing a lease with clear legal terms. Many landlords operate on informal agreements, which can lead to disputes over rent increases, deposits, or eviction notices. It’s essential to get a written lease outlining the terms of your stay, including rent amount, duration, and responsibilities for maintenance and utilities.
Another issue is high rental costs in prime areas like Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios. Demand is especially high in urban centers, leading to competitive markets where good listings disappear quickly. Many landlords also require several months’ rent upfront—sometimes as much as first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit—making it financially challenging for some renters. Additionally, finding reliable listings can be difficult, as scams, inflated costs and misrepresented property listings.
You should keep the exchange rate in mind when looking at prices. Jamaicans love foreign money so you’ll find a lot of listings in USD, as owners try to cater to foreign tenants. When looking at prices in JMD the conversion is lower.
Documents You May Need
1. Proof of Identity: ID, drivers license or passport.
2. TRN: Tax Registration Number
3. Proof of Address: Bill or previous lease in your name or letter from person you live with.
4. Proof of Income & Employment: Job letter confirming employment and salary, recent pay checks, bank statement if self employed.
5. POCA: Proceeds of Crime Act – designed to combat money laundering, fraud and other financial crimes.
6. Security Deposit & Advance Rent: Enough funds for first, last months rent and security deposit.
Returning by Choice
When restarting in Jamaica by choice, the home hunting process will be a little smoother, but you still need to be aware of scams and people with agendas.
Getting the important paperwork needed to rent can be easier for you such as proof of income, previous rental agreements and references. As with everything in Jamaica smoother doesn’t always mean faster, the time it takes to verify information from your previous country can be lengthy.
Involuntary Returns – Deported
Restarting by force has a number of road blocks that can slow down the process. If you don’t have ID or a TRN, you’ll need to get those in order first. Word of mouth to find a place, if you happen to know someone that knows someone, it’s possible to skip that step in some cases but be careful.
The struggle of getting identification and proof of employment when you’ve literally just returned is an obstacle the Jamaican government doesn’t intend to fix. You can’t rent without a job even if you’ve saved all your money abroad and now have enough to pay rent for a year, some realtors will not accept savings as a way to pay.
Be mindful of the stigma that comes with being deported. When someone is aware you were deported, they attribute it to criminal activity and will avoid helping you in the slightest.
Other deportees may not be helpful either, as they’ve been through the tough process and are now “Jamaican minded” enough to not want to make it easier for the new comers.
Where To Look
Online Platforms
Getkeez.com: A user-friendly platform that aggregates real estate listings, making it easier to find rental properties in Jamaica.
Realtor.com: Offers a comprehensive selection of apartments and houses for rent across Jamaica.
Properstar.com: Provides listings of apartments and houses available for rent in various Jamaican parishes.
Rentberry.com: Features rental listings, particularly in Kingston, catering to diverse preferences.
Offers a wide variety of listings across Jamaica from different agencies and landlords.
Real Estate Agencies
Graham & Graham Realty Jamaica: Offers professional real estate services, including apartment rentals, with detailed listings on their website.
Coldwell Banker Jamaica: Offers residential and commercial real estate services, including sales, rentals, and property management
Jamaica Sotheby’s International Realty: Specializes in luxury real estate sales, rentals, and global property marketing.
There are a lot of realty websites but they offer a lot of the same listings. This option has strict requirements and you may need more paperwork and confirming of information. Working with a licensed agent can help the process go much smoother and might be a little safer.
Classifieds
Jamaica Classified Online: A platform where landlords post available apartments for rent.
Jamaica Observer Classifieds: Features house and apartment rental listings, primarily focusing on Kingston and surrounding areas.
Beware of scams and fake listings. Classifieds don’t verify the rental properties, so anyone can post anything. There are real property owners and landlords looking for renters and some things can be negotiated. Less paperwork may be required but always read your lease agreement before signing.
Jamaica Classified offers a service to find you apartments within your criteria for a fee of J$2500 which is $18 USD, but they will quote the USD as $20. Once you pay the fee, they will email you new listings that match your criteria for 30 days. You can look up the listings yourself using the search filters, don’t waste your money.
Vacation Rental Platforms
Airbnb: Hosts a variety of apartment rentals suitable for both short-term and extended stays, with options across Jamaica.
Vrbo.com: Specializes in vacation home rentals, ideal for families or groups seeking private accommodations.
HomeToGo.com: Aggregates vacation rental listings from multiple platforms, helping users compare prices and find deals.
Booking.com: Provides a mix of hotels, guesthouses, and vacation rentals, including fully furnished apartments for short and extended stays.
This option can be more expensive because it caters to tourists but everything is included in the price, so usually no extra bills. You may find listings that state, if you use too much electricity they’ll charge you separately. If you’re stranded without ID (for some rentals) or documents to prove income this may be your only option because it doesn’t require jumping through hoops and certain approvals to get an apartment.
Word of Mouth
Social Media: There are some rental listings on Facebook and Facebook groups for expats moving and living in Jamaica that may have some helpful resources.
Reddit: Forums often have full discussions and those living in Jamaica providing tips.
Socialize: Be wary but get to know some people, they might know someone with a rental.
This option seems to be the most used by locals. A lot of places for rent may not be listed online and the owners find renters through word of mouth and posting on social media. Also, beware of scams and being put in unscrupulous situations.
Non-Government Organizations
No money or place to go?
While Jamaican authorities report the existence of shelters and boarding houses, the immigration authorities will not assist in arranging accommodations, so you will need to handle this on your own. Your acceptance into a shelter is dependent on the space they have available. These sites boast information about helping those in need but do they actually? Most don’t answer emails and if they do reply, do not provide any helpful information. You’ll have to fend for yourself.
For limited official information, visit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade – Deportation
Family Unification and Resettlement Initiative
Provides temporary housing, mental health referrals, and case management for deportees.
Assists with obtaining identification documents in Jamaica.
More details: www.familyunification.net
Open Heart Charitable Mission
Focuses on helping the homeless, drug addicts, and the destitute in St. James, Jamaica.
While their website does not specifically mention deportees, they may still offer relevant support.
Location: 2A Lawrence Lane, Montego Bay, St. James
Website: www.ohcmja.com
Portland Rehab Management Group
Operates a homeless shelter that provides food, medicine, shelter, and rehabilitative services.
Website: www.prmhomeless.org
Open Arms Development Centre
Provides support to deportees from the U.S., U.K., and Canada.
Services include long-term accommodations, meals, counseling, and vocational training.
Website: www.openarmsdevcen.org
This is a homeless shelter, you’ll be here with a mixture of people with different circumstances.
NODM (National Organization for Deported Migrants)
Supports deportees with education, job training, mental health services, documentation retrieval (birth certificates, TRN, passports), and economic empowerment.
Website: www.nodmjm.wordpress.com
While this organization is heavily advertised on a lot of websites, they’ve never answered a single email. I’m not sure if they’re still in operation and what kind of help they offer, if any.
Government Organizations
Poor Relief Department
A government social services agency assisting those in poverty and destitution with temporary care and referrals to other resources. This option is questionable as none of the government organizations seem to be helpful to anyone unless you are friends of family of an employee.