Need to have rent restriction Act in a new constitution

Stakeholders say it will save 14 million Tanzanians who are denied decent and affordable urban housing

THE Dar es Salaam based housing stakeholders commonly known as 'Merchant Chamber' has appealed to the government to look at the possibility of injecting an Act on the newly adopted national draft constitution which would help house tenants to achieve their legal rights from their landlords. They say that, the law amendments of rent restriction in the newly adopted constitution of the Republic of Tanzania would save about 14 million Tanzanians who are denied decent and affordable urban housing settlements. According to housing stakeholders, there has been little control of the rental housing business especially in urban areas where about 60 percent of urban residents reside in rental houses while 40 percent of their incomes is spent on accommodation. They have therefore asked the government to review the Act in its newly adopted national draft constitution so as to establish a specific law of controlling this business because its absence has made landlords wield so much power over their tenants. The law should among other things forbid landlords for claiming for yearly rental fees yet employees are paid salaries monthly, a situation that has been placing tenants in arrears while others engage in corrupt acts to afford the housing expenses.

They resist the currently used rent restriction Act saying it's outdated ever since it was enacted way back in 1950s during colonialism. But the new Act would mean to safeguard the welfare of tenants. Among other things, the law will put a barrier for landlords from demanding advance rent payments. However, in 2005 this law was repealed for reasons best known to those who engineered its deletion. The detrimental effects this decision caused, is that it condemned millions of tenants to the uncertain life they continue to endure until today, as landlords are free to hike the house rents with impunity. According to Merchant Chamber, under the new constitution, the experience teach that, “there is the need for the right to decent and affordable housing to be included among other rights which are presently set out in Chapter 1, part 3 of the constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania. Basing on their basic demand as far as the issue is concerned, the Chamber claims that, “by favouring the National Housing Corporation (NHC), the government has given a green light to all other landlords to victimize millions of tenants and pose a great threat to national peace and stability”.