Buying, Building, Living and Renting in Rainbow Bay
Whether you are buying land or an existing property, building a home, plan to live or rent in Rainbow Bay then this page covers everything you need to know. Please take your time to read all the information, guides and links provided, any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at environment-community@rainbowbay.org.
Buying Land or Property and Building
Rainbow Bay Property Owners Association does not sell property, please contact a local real estate agency for lot listings.
(E.g. H. G. Christie Ltd, Coldwell Banker or Sotheby Reality).
If you are planning to buy land or property here in Rainbow Bay, please first contact The Association at info@rainbowbay.org who will then check their records as to whether there are any outstanding Dues as you "The Potential Purchaser" may be liable for them.
All foreign investors must obtain an Investment Permit for your Deeds to be registered officially. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure this Permit is completed correctly in order to obtain a Stamped Recorded Deed.
Make sure there is clear title on the Deeds and that your Lawyer has done their due diligence. Ensure you have an original Stamped Recorded Deed. Copies are normally unacceptable to various Offices when required to prove proof of ownership.
Once you have completed your purchase please ensure you contact The Association at info@rainbowbay.org so we can update our records to reflect such.
our Annual FEES, Building & Rental Permit Fees 2024
RESIDENTIAL LOTS
Undeveloped - $100 per year per Lot
Developed - $250 per year per Lot
Rental Permit
$100 per bedroom annually
*$30 will be added annually for road repairs
VAT 10% will be added to your invoice
COMMERCIAL LOTS
Undeveloped - $100 per year per Lot
Developed - $300 per year per Lot
Building Fees
Building Impact fee $1.00 per sqft
Building Application fee 35 cents per sqft
Lot Clearing fee $100
Invoices will be prepared by Seaview Accounting
Planning to Build? Please read our RBPOA Guide to Building below, this tells you the process and what to do. Mark Poole is our Chief Building Officer and he along with our Board Members approve all Plans and issue Permits. Please note that we have height restrictions and set-back and compliance rules, please ensure you read our By-Laws and our Policies and Procedures which can be found on our ABOUT US page. For all building enquiries please contact us at building@rainbowbay.org.
Living and Renting
Rainbow Bay is a diverse community. Many residents live in Rainbow all year round or part of the year, while others use their properties as investment rentals. Some are Bahamians who have hailed from Eleuthera for generations, and others pop over for a vacation from their homes on the busier islands. Rainbow Bay attracts snowbirds seeking to escape blustery winters, beachcombers, snorkelers and sportfishing enthusiasts. Folks migrate to Eleuthera and Rainbow Bay from across the globe, making it cosmopolitan with a laid-back island vibe. Please see the following information and guides if you plan to live or rent in our Deed Restricted Sub-Division.​
​
RENTING
Please note, if you are currently renting or plan to rent your home, the Bahamian Government is actively seeking all homeowners, that are renting either directly or via platforms such as AirBnB, to register their properties with the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism has a document for "Owner Occupied Rental Homes" (click here to download) which states "if a house, condo, apartment, flat or room is regularly or systematically rented for a continuous period not exceeding 45 days, this activity is considered a business/commercial activity". To download the 'Owner Occupied Rental License Form 1C' please click here.
The Covenants attached to your Deeds forbid any commercial activity from a residential property unless specified, i.e. doctor, dentist and professional people within the confines of their residences. Long-term rentals are allowed! Please note the RBPOA Rental Permit is now available on our Members page.
We strongly advise all rental properties to provide a 'Welcome Pack' for renters. The pack should include clear instructions on how to find the trash site and its proper use, emergency numbers, our policies and procedures, information about the use of our beaches, parks and car parks, dark sky policy and nearest grocery stores and restaurants.
BEACHES
There are 5 beaches in Rainbow Bay - Hidden Beach, Twin Beach, Smugglers Beach, Come n Go Beaches and the most popular and most used island wide is Rainbow Bay Beach which has car parking and cabanas with picnic tables which are up year round unless a bad storm or hurricane is imminent then they are taken down / away to storage.
There are no lifeguards so swim or snorkel at your own risk.
No restroom or refreshment facilities are provided.
As with all beaches and car park areas, please remove your own trash upon departure.
Please note, the Board does not condone the reservation of cabanas on Rainbow Bay Beach, they are available to all on a "first come first serve" basis.
park SITES
Rainbow Bay sub-division has several undeveloped park sites.
Nentwig Park, located by Rainbow Bay Beach and adjacent to the beach ramp, was created by volunteers to honor previous Board President, Ron Nentwig.
This lovely Park has viewing benches which were made and donated by volunteers.
There are no restroom or refreshment facilities.
tennis court
The Association has a Tennis Court located at our Maintenance Building along Lazy Shore Road and is available to use for our homeowners only.
For access please contact us at environment-community@rainbowbay.org.
OUR POLICIES
All items - food, drinks, otherwise - taken to the beaches/car park must be removed upon departure.
No smoking on the beach - discarded butts are dangerous to marine and wildlife, they are furthermore an unsightly health concern.
Respect other people's space and tranquility.
Do not remove any marine life or wildlife, that includes shells containing living animals, living sand dollars and star fish.
No dumping of any kind.
Please pick up after your dogs, do not leave faeces for someone to tread in.
Take pride in the area and help keep Rainbow Bay clean and tidy!
kayaks
The kayaks stored on the kayak rack on Rainbow Bay Beach are the personal property of residents and not for general use.
Due to limited space, kayak storing is on a "first come, first serve" basis.
All kayaks should fit securely on the rack, no oversized kayaks are permitted.
Kayaks should be removed by owners who plan to be away from the island for extended periods.
For safety reasons, kayaks should not be left elsewhere on the beach and will be removed if so. Store kayaks at your own risk!
Please contact the Association should you require further guidance.
​
trash collection
Rainbow Bay does not have a door-to-door garbage collection. All household garbage should be taken to the dedicated Trash Site and placed in the building. Anything other than bagged household garbage should be taken to Hatchet Bay Dump Site North of the Queen's Highway.
Please do not assume that leaving recyclable items on the platform will be taken.
No dumping is permitted, do not leave anything outside of the building please.
neighbourhood watch
Rainbow resident James Ryder operates the volunteer Neighbourhood Watch scheme. Per your request, he will drive by and check doors and windows twice a week.
Email James if you would like to be included at okislandman@gmail.com.
dark sky policy
We operate a Dark Sky Policy here in Rainbow Bay which means bright outside lights are strongly discouraged to protect our residents and wildlife from light pollution. Optional forms of lighting are available that do not pollute natural light skies. For more information, check out the International Dark Sky Association at www.darksky.org.
GROCERY STOREs
Big Rock General Store is located just outside of Rainbow Bay off the Queen's Highway and is owned by Tony Bethel and family. Tony, the proprieter, accepts debit cards and does a great job stocking fresh dairy items and produce. This is our nearest grocery store and it is open 7 days a week.
Opening hours are:
Monday to Saturday - 7am to 6.30pm
Sunday - 7am to 1pm
​
restaurants & bars
The Sunset Cove & Rainbow Room, formerly known and most recognised as The Rainbow Inn, is situated along the Queen's Highway. It has been in operation since the 1970's with several owners, the present owners took over earlier this year 2022.