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Hotel Proprietors
HOTEL PROPRIETORS ACT

CHAPTER 87:55

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Act
16 of 1967

Amended by
45 of 1979

Current Authorised Pages
Pages Authorised

(inclusive) by L.R.O.
1–6 ..

L.R.O. UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

2 Chap. 87:55 Hotel Proprietors

Note on Subsidiary Legislation
This Chapter contains no subsidiary legislation.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

L.R.O.

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Hotel Proprietors Chap. 87:55 3

CHAPTER 87:55

HOTEL PROPRIETORS ACT

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION

1. Short title.
2. Interpretation.
3. Liability of proprietor.
4. Limits of liability.
5. Obligation of hotel proprietor.
6. Lien of hotel proprietor.

SCHEDULE.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

4 Chap. 87:55 Hotel Proprietors

CHAPTER 87:55

HOTEL PROPRIETORS ACT

An Act relating to the rights and liabilities of hotel proprietors.

[26TH JULY 1967]

1. This Act may be cited as the Hotel Proprietors Act.

2. In this Act—
“goods” means any property of a guest other than a vehicle or

property therein or any horse or other live animal its harness
or other equipment or anything of a noxious, dangerous or
unusual character;

“guest” means any person received into an hotel for the purpose
of partaking of food or drink or using sleeping
accommodation provided in the hotel;

“hotel” means any place or establishment held out by the
proprietor as offering food and drink and, if so required,
sleeping accommodation to any person presenting himself
who is willing and able to pay a reasonable sum for the
services and facilities provided and who is in a fit state to
be received therein;

“proprietor”, in relation to an hotel, means any person having the
management or control of an hotel and the conduct of the
business therein.

3. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the proprietor of an hotel is
liable to make good to any guest any damage to or loss of any
goods brought to the hotel by the guest in any case where—

(a) at the time of the damage or loss sleeping
accommodation had been engaged by the guest;

(b) the damage or loss occurred during the period
commencing with the acceptance of the guest into
the hotel and ending with his departure therefrom
at the end of his stay.

16 of 1967.

Commencement.

Short title.

Interpretation.

Liability of
proprietor.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

L.R.O.

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Hotel Proprietors Chap. 87:55 5

Limits of
liability.
[45 of 1979].

Schedule.

Obligation of
hotel proprietor.

(2) The proprietor of an hotel shall not be liable to make
good to any guests any loss of or damage to, or have any lien on,
any vehicle or any property left in such vehicle or any live animal
or its harness or other equipment.

4. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the liability referred to in
section 3 of the proprietor of any hotel to any one guest shall not
exceed five hundred dollars in respect of any one article or two
thousand dollars in the aggregate except where—

(a) the property was stolen, lost or damaged through
the default, neglect or wilful act of the proprietor
or his servants; or

(b) the property was deposited by or on behalf of the
guest expressly for safe custody with the
proprietor or some servant of his authorised or
held out to be authorised for the purpose and if
so required by the proprietor or that servant in a
container or safe fastened, sealed or locked by
the depositor.

(2) The proprietor of an hotel shall not be entitled to the
protection of this subsection unless at the time when the property
in question was brought into the hotel a copy of the notice set out
in the Schedule printed in plain type was conspicuously displayed
in a place where it could conveniently be read by his guests at or
near the reception desk or at or near the main entrance to the hotel.

(3) The proprietor of an hotel may by written notice or
special agreement limit his liability for loss or damage to the goods
of any guest where he is undertaking or rendering any service in
relation to such goods but, save as aforesaid, may not contract out
of the liability imposed by this Act.

5. Any proprietor of an hotel who refuses to receive any
person as a guest by reason of such person’s race, religion or colour
is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand five
hundred dollars and to imprisonment for six months.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

6 Chap. 87:55 Hotel Proprietors

6. Subject to section 3(2), the proprietor of an hotel shall
have a lien on the goods of any guest for the payment of all moneys
payable to the proprietor for food, drink or accommodation or other
services or facilities provided by the proprietor for the guest and
shall be entitled to retain the goods and at any time after the
expiration of thirty days from such retention to sell the same and
recover the whole or any part of such moneys together with the
costs and expenses of such sale provided that such sale is by
public auction.

SCHEDULE

LOSS OF OR DAMAGE TO GUEST’S PROPERTY

Under the Hotel Proprietors Act, an hotel proprietor may in certain circumstances
be liable to make good any loss of or damage to a guest’s property even though
it was not due to any fault of the proprietor or staff of the hotel.

This liability however—
(a) extends only to the property of guests who have engaged

sleeping accommodation at the hotel;
(b) is limited to five hundred dollars for any one article and a total

of two thousand dollars in the case of any one guest, except in
the case of property which has been deposited, or offered for
deposit, for safe custody;

(c) does not cover motor-cars or other vehicles of any kind or any
property left in them or horses or other live animals.

Lien of hotel
proprietor.

Section 4(2).

[45 of 1979].

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt