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Vendors locked out of Craft Alive for years of unpaid rent

April 1st, 2025 | Tags: vendors rent locked out Arrears Craft Alive
Two cruise ships were in today, April 1, 2025, however, not everyone in Craft Alive were able to benefit as close to 15 vendors were locked out of their booths today. Photo: VINO
Reports are Craft Alive vendors owe the City between 10 to 12 years of rent. Photo: VINO
Reports are Craft Alive vendors owe the City between 10 to 12 years of rent. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Two cruise ships were in today, April 1, 2025, however, not everyone in Craft Alive was able to benefit as close to 15 vendors were locked out of their booths today.

It was no April Fools Day hoax either. According to reports, the vendors affected owe years of rent.

Reports are the arrears span between 10 to 12 years.

One vendor of Craft Alive confirmed to our News Centre that the shut out was due to unpaid rent.

The issue of vendors not honouring their rent came up since 2019, when it was revealed at a community meeting that it had been several years that some tenants were delinquent with their rent and the City was leaning towards eviction.

It is unclear what the current rent structure is; however, in 2019, vendors were put on a limited fluctuating payment of rent schedule, which saw them committing to paying $150 monthly from October to April and $250 monthly from May to September.

Despite this very low cost, vendors had still been singing the “very slow business" tune in and out of tourist season.

More details to follow.

26 Responses to “Vendors locked out of Craft Alive for years of unpaid rent”

  • Greg (01/04/2025, 18:41) Like (82) Dislike (2) Reply
    This is ridiculous! These vendors want everything free, stating they were not making money. If your business is not making money, then how are they sitting there day after day? CLOSE DOWN and GET OUT! That rent is cheap, cheap, cheap!
  • WOW Z WOO (01/04/2025, 19:01) Like (45) Dislike (0) Reply
    $250.00 per month is dirt cheap. Are you serious? Anywhere in the world if you are renting you have to pay your rental fees. Yes, lock their a.. out. It is not fair to the vendors that is paying their monthly rent.
  • LOL (01/04/2025, 19:34) Like (17) Dislike (2) Reply
    Jusy a preview of what's to come at the New Economic Zone built in the 5th District using taxpayer funds. Not one dollar of rent will be collected.
  • so tell me (01/04/2025, 19:41) Like (37) Dislike (0) Reply
    Where on Island one can rent retail space for 250.00 a month. I am quite sure one have to pay way more than 250.00 a month to rent a chair in a nail salon or a hair salon.
    • @So Tell Me (02/04/2025, 08:20) Like (15) Dislike (3) Reply
      Good for there behinds. They allow all kind of down island people to come here and do as they damn well please. Can’t rent to your own people for $250.00 but could rent to those people for peanuts a month and they refuse to pay their rental fees. Tortola is the big fat milk cow. Quick to give hand outs to others and leave your own to suffer.
    • @So Tell Me (02/04/2025, 12:11) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      This is going to upset a lot of people that is renting retail space and have to cough up much more money to rent a space for their business. My uncle is paying almost nine hundred a month for the little corner space he is renting. What is for goose should be for the whole darn gander. This two hundred and fifty dollars got me here scratching my head.
  • Goodness Gracious (01/04/2025, 20:10) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    My son monthly allowance is more than $250. 00 per month.
    • @Goodness Dracious (02/04/2025, 11:56) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      My 17 year old daughter allowance is $100.00 per week, that is $20.00 per day $400.00 per month. And these people refuse to pay $250.00 per month retail rent? Yes, lock their A out.They have gotten away with this for to damn long. If I don’t pay my $1,250.00 monthly rent to my landlord he is going to kick me out right? By the way, I am renting a beautiful modernize home with all amenities and I am not willing to give that up for non payment of rent.
  • Correct me if I am wrong please (01/04/2025, 20:18) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    Isn’t the people that is renting a beach hut in what is supposed to be the market paying more per month than $250.00 to rent a retail space?
  • LOL (01/04/2025, 20:29) Like (3) Dislike (7) Reply
    The victimization starts
  • Science (01/04/2025, 20:43) Like (9) Dislike (7) Reply
    Were they even locals?
    • What difference (02/04/2025, 07:24) Like (16) Dislike (1) Reply

      Does it make? Do if they are locals thry should not pay their rent... did you stop and think before typing or you're just naturally less than smart. From here or not they need to pay their rent. 

      • Science (02/04/2025, 11:53) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
        Why would we allow 10 years of no payment from non locals? Is there another country that does this?
  • Well damnnnnnn (01/04/2025, 21:11) Like (19) Dislike (0) Reply
    If anyone is renting retail space for $250.00 a month please post it. If a child who is selling lemonade, homemade cookies and brownies and his/her parents rent a retail space, I’m quite sure the monthly rent is going to be more than $250.00 a month. $250.00 a month rent? Are you sure that is the correct figure? Anywho, the ones that was not paying your monthly retail rent should be ashamed of yourselves and I really don’t care who you are. NO EXCUSES OR NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!
  • 2024 (01/04/2025, 21:29) Like (3) Dislike (5) Reply
    when others comes into our country they are granted all manner of tax free along with other benefits or privileges: When it comes to some of Us, we have to follow the letter of the Law

    dont ever put aside or forget the Commission of enquiries and non of them went jail
  • Them want to come here and get everything rentfree (01/04/2025, 23:24) Like (5) Dislike (11) Reply
    These island people getting away with murder
    • here we go again (02/04/2025, 07:19) Like (10) Dislike (8) Reply
      @them island people. So there are no local vendors there. You should shut your dry crusty pie hole if you can't say something sensible ...they are wrong for not paying the rent island people or not and by you saying "island people that will include BVI people, for they are island people as well, yes, yes. Stop the madness, we are ONE PEOPLE
  • Born local (02/04/2025, 00:24) Like (6) Dislike (11) Reply
    That's what you get when you give expats privilege over local.
  • Danny (02/04/2025, 02:06) Like (11) Dislike (5) Reply
    The reality is that
    1. they all sell the same thing.
    2. Nothing sold over there is in demand
    3. They're all operating at a loss
    4. If by chance they raise enough for the bills
    in a given month, there's nothing left to take
    home.
    So bills can't be paid. They operate on the basis of "i from here" so I shouldn't have to pay rent
    We wishing them all good luck
    • @danny (02/04/2025, 07:55) Like (13) Dislike (0) Reply
      Most of them there have fulltime jobs, the older ones on pension are the ones you might see there, others have jobs and hired a person to work for them, or some open when they are off from work or in the afternoon or a family member opened for them.
  • flUffy (02/04/2025, 02:49) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Yes ,times are hard and will get harder..but 10 years no rent?? Complains of not making money,but yet these shops are stocked to overflowing!! So how did you guys buy merchandise to restock ?? Sometines if the vendors could come together and open on the weekends and cater to the locals and daytrippers instead of waiting on the "BIG SHIPS" GUYS TIME TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX!!( PLUS EVERYBODY SELLING THE SAME DAM THING!!!)



  • tola (02/04/2025, 03:54) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Really wow
  • malone (02/04/2025, 06:46) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    People never seem to grasp the amount of bobul that does be going onn in society. People telling you to work hard is rubbish. Alot of people get by on links and hand outs and lodge benefits. Society is a lie. You have to be smart at it. Work yes but look for shortcuts or youll be working for years and not seeing your way.
  • Craft Alive (02/04/2025, 08:54) Like (13) Dislike (0) Reply
    Craft Alive have so much potential especially for small businesses. Locals and Tourist can go there to explore the businesses there. They can host sip and paint, learn how to make items and foods from the BVI’s culture. So much things can be done in there.
  • Real Talk (02/04/2025, 11:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

    WELL SAW LOOK HOW THESE BLOGGERS HATING ON LOCAL AND EXPIRATE PAY YO RENT OR GET THE %$£ OUT LOCAL OR EXPIRATE WITH AR U STUIDNESS

  • @danny (02/04/2025, 15:50) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    I agree regarding the product they sell. Its the same highly flammable sh*t they sell everywhere else in the carribean...the stuff is crap. I hear the comments from visitors all the time.

    I used to own a gift shop here. You need to be unique to survive.


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