Failure to enforce: Govt blamed for rental crisis

THE African Labour and Human Rights Centre blames government inaction and the failure to enforce existing rental laws for Namibia’s current urban housing crisis.

Centre director August Maletzky says the government has failed to enforce these laws as per the Rental Ordinance No 13 of 1977.

This comes after the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has announced it is in the process of reviving and establishing a rent control board and drafting a new bill to address the rental crisis in urban areas.

Deputy minister of urban and rural development Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele made the announcement on Thursday while responding to Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentarian Inna Hengari’s questions in the National Assembly.

“For decades the state has neglected to revive a rent control board. It has neglected to modernise penalties and the enforcement of an established statutory law,” Maletzky said on Friday.

As a result, he said tenants are being punished by the government’s inaction while landlords operate in “a legal vacuum”.

Maletzky said the laws are still in place until repealed, arguing that the notion of landlords operating with legal impunity is wrong.

He said he believes the government has failed to enforce the law and now wants the nation to believe there is a legal vacuum.

“More concerning is the ministry’s admission that there is no effective control of rental prices. Exploitation is happening in broad daylight, yet the government continues with its lengthy processes,” Maletzky said.

While the government is drafting laws, Namibians are suffering, he said.

Instead it should enforce the law that is still in place.

“Our people deserve the immediate enforcement of existing laws and urgent reform, not silly excuses dressed up as policy reviews,” Maletzky said.

Given the 2024 average rental price of N$7 348 and inflation rates reaching 5.1%, Hengari questioned what measures the ministry is implementing to mitigate the affordability crisis that forces tenants to allocate disproportionate portions of their income to rent – particularly in urban areas where two- bedroom unit prices have surged by 14.7%.

!Nawases-Taeyele said part of the process includes reviewing the Rental Ordinance No 13 of 1977 and drafting a new bill that speaks to today’s rental markets.

She said the matter is at procurement level and will soon be advertised through open national bidding for consultants with expertise in property values, property law and rental matters to come onboard.

“The drafting of a new bill will speak to today’s rental markets,” the deputy minister said.

Former PDM parliamentarian Maximalliant Katjimune in 2024 tabled a motion seeking to address and regulate rental prices.
National Democratic Party leader Martin Lukato also raised concerns in 2025 about tax compliance for rental services, including backyard flats.

Hengari last week asked the minister if the Cabinet would act to revive rent boards under the ordinance to protect tenants from exploitative rent increases while maintaining landlord business interests.

She also asked what concrete reforms are planned to ensure rent boards’ effective establishment and operation across regions.

The deputy minister said there is currently no law that empowers the ministry to control rental prices, hence the need to establish a rent control board.

This task would, however, require a collective effort from all industry stakeholders, she said.

“It should be noted that a rent control board alone would not have the significant reduction we want to see in rental prices, as rents are based on property values,” !Nawases-Taeyele said.

As long as property values remain as is, she said, rental prices would remain high.

She said there are provisions in the rental ordinance on the administration of rental deposits, saying they should not exceed 50% of one month’s rent, but this law has been non-functional since independence.

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