Call Nevis MUA admin. office. They'll help you. They have more staff now. Were very responsive and shot us 3-4 places within 1-2 days (by email). Most places have AC in bedrooms only, which is not enough for me. Many westerners are fine just using the "Island Breeze", but not me. I have to have AC whenever inside. Consider that. You can get free standing units down here for about 1000$ US. "Safe" is very relative to where you are coming from. The whole Island is probably safer than any major city in the US or Canada, and safer than almost anywhere, but crime can occur anywhere, and does here also.

As far as furnishings, always "furnished" to varying degrees but usually sufficient, usually a desk, kitchen table, sofa, basics, TV, often no VCR/DVD player, bring one if it matters to you. Washers common, dryers very rare. BRING A SCREW ON WATER FILTER, with lots of filter replacements, and consider a spare filter unit, because you use it so much they break. You go through a filter about 1/month with 3 people, water is heavily mineralized, which is why you need the filter, or you're basiclaly drinkin milk of magnesia, and using the toilet likewise. Blenders and coffee pots are uncommon. Microwaves are considered common. Toasters common.

1000$ for abotu 1000 sq feet is probably average, and that's if in good shape, newer, and not hodge podge. Very common situation is to be in the lower part of a Nevisian local's upper level home. You are in the basement, which is cooler anyway. Yards are very variable, often junky and unkempt by American standards. Utilities almost never included in above figure.

Remember, it's 20 months. DO NOT EXPECT IT TO BE HOME. Don't try to fool yourself that it's not a backward, foreign country, because it is. Wether it's 3rd world or not is up for semantics. I personally love the quiet and simplicity, and once you get used to the locals flattened affect, you're good.

Little more than you asked for, but I'm on break.

All the best.