Renting
Most expatriates who come to work in Grand Cayman typically rent an apartment or house. Most come furnished.
Costs
Rents rose dramatically after Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004. There was an acute housing shortage as most home on the island were damaged. Insurance premiums increased and many landlords chose the recover many of their costs by increasing rents. The good news is that most rents have now returned to pre-Ivan levels.
Check the websites of local real estate agents for the latest prices. Another good place to look is the classified advertisements in one of the local newspapers.
Most landlords require one months rent as deposit. The utilities companies also require deposits. For example Cable and Wireless require a CI $300 deposit for a residential telephone line, while the Caribbean Utilities Company require a deposit of CI $100 per bedroom for electricity.
Expatriates coming to work in Grand Cayman, provided they have received their work permit, can import personal goods duty-free provided they are over six months old. Cars are an exception to this rule and duty is payable at rates of up to 40%.