Frequently Asked Questions
What criteria must I fulfil in order to qualify for a RDP house?
All applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a South African citizen or have a permanent residence certificate
- Married, cohabiting with a partner or single with dependants.
- Have never owned property.
- Have never received a Government Housing Subsidy.
- Be 21 years or older.
- Joint household income should not exceed R3 500 per month.
Can I sell my RDP house?
When you receive a fully subsidised house, there are certain conditions that come with the subsidy approval.
One of these conditions is that if you wan to sell the house within the first 8 years of receiving it, you must offer the house to either local or provincial government. We can buy it back from you at the value of the subsidy.
Once the 8 years is up, you can sell the house as a private person.
Any sale within the 8 years and without the permission of local and provincial government is illegal.
Do not sell your house or buy and RDP house using an affidavit. This is not a legal document and you are not protected if there is a dispute about ownership.
eThekwini Municipality does not sell RDP houses. If someone asks you for money to secure allocation of a fully subsidised house, it is a scam. Please report that person to the City Integrity and Investigation Unit on 0800 202020
When will my informal settlement be relocated or upgraded?
You can contact the Housing Unit’s Planning Branch on 031 311 3283 or your area Ward Councillor to enquire about the status of your settlement. You will need to provide the name of the settlement, the area in which it is located and the road or street used to access the settlement.
We need toilets in our informal settlement as there is no proper sanitation.
You need to liaise with your local Ward Councillor who will make representation on your behalf to the relevant department within the municipality.
I wish to sell my land to the municipality for housing development. What should I do?
Contact the Housing Unit’s Planning Branch on 031 311 3283.
Provide as much detail of the land as you can, including a cadastral description, street address, rate number and where it is situated.
Also provide your contact details including your telephone numbers. The Planning Branch will evaluate the land's suitability for housing development.
How do I go about making an application for a house?
The Housing Unit develops various types of projects for example, In situ upgrade, Greenfield, Social Housing (Rental), Rural, and so on.
The large majority of projects are:
In situ upgrade - Involves the upgrading of informal settlements where the land is suitable for development. Subsidies are allocated to existing residents and where certain residents are not accommodated due to them being in the way of services, they will be relocated to greenfield projects.
Greenfield - These projects are undertaken on vacant land. Given the fact that informal settlements have been identified as a high priority by National and Provincial Government, a large proportion of sites will be allocated to residents from relocation or upgrade projects. A portion of sites will be advertised in the local newspapers for the general public to access. The public will need to respond to such adverts by phoning in and making an appointment to fill in the relevant application forms.
Is my application that I made for a house years ago to the municipality, still valid?
In terms of a Council decision, housing waiting lists in the former Councils were scrapped with effect from November 19, 2002.
How do I apply for a reduction in my rent?
In order to qualify for a reduction in your rent, your household income must be less than R1 500 per month. If there is no household income, an Affidavit is required. Pensioners will need to produce their pension card. Your Identity Document and electricity account will also be required.
Is the municipality planning to provide rental housing for people in the middle income group?
No, but the municipality has provided assistance to Section 21 companies that develop and manage affordable rental housing (Social Housing).
What is the municipality’s policy on informal settlement on private land?
All informal settlements within the municipality have been captured on our database. An Informal Settlement Programme has been developed to address each and every settlement via an appropriate intervention and within a certain timeframe. This is irrespective of the ownership of the land.
I need repairs made to my council owned flat. What should I do?
You should contact the Supervisor in charge of your building who in turn will attend to the necessary repairs.
How do I apply for rental accommodation?
Rental units are in the process of being transferred to ownership. Few vacant rental dwellings are available and these dwellings are allocated to priority cases, for example, disabled, chronic medical patients or exile prisoners.
I am disabled and need urgent accommodation. How do I apply for a house?
You will need to submit a detailed application to the Housing Unit, along with a Social Worker’s assessment and recommendation outlining the extent of your disability.
I am a tenant in a council flat. I wish to purchase the flat. What is the procedure?
Contact Housing’s renting offices close to where you live. They will assist you and enable you to purchase your flat.
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