The long-awaited rent control bill seems to be eluding the legislator as it is not among the bills set to be introduced during the 2024/2025 legislative year. This came to the fore after the justice ministry last week announced a list of bills to be tabled.
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) legislator, Maximalliant Katjimune, who has been campaigning for the new law, last year inquired in the National Assembly as to why Urban and Rural Development minister Erastus Uutoni was delaying presenting the bill before Parliament.
Katjimune’s view was that the soaring housing costs have left hundreds of thousands of ordinary Namibians without a choice but to rent. He said in this situation, tenants are being exposed to exploitative rental fees.
The rent control bill, which has been before the ministry since 2017, aims to regulate rental fees and increases in the country.
“This crisis ought to have been resolved by the proposed rent control bill, which is earmarked to operationalise the Rent Control Board to control rent prices in our city, towns and villages,” Katjimune stressed. After learning that the bill was not on the list, he showed his disappointment on his social media platforms.
“Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Namibians who rent will continue to suffer with the cost of exorbitant rent prices which are not regulated. Sad and terrible state of affairs. We urge the minister to expedite this bill now,” said Katjimune.
Uutoni last year in the NA responded that the ministry has a draft bill, which was still undergoing a refinement process. Efforts to get the new update from him proved futile as his phone went answered at the time of going to print.
Furthermore, according to the FNB rent price index report for 2023, the average rent price on a 12-month rolling basis stands at N$7 177 for the third quarter of 2023.
“Average rent prices are N$3 483, N$5 443, N$9 907 and N$22 703 for the one, two, three and more than three-bedroom segments respectively,” reads the report.