RENTAL
Rental housing markets in Africa and Covid-19 : Part 2
By Jean Philippe Ado of the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa ( CAHF )
Part 2 of this paper takes a look at examples of measures to protect the rights of landlords and tenants around the world , and presents some measures implemented in some African countries toward the resilience of their rental housing market during the Covid-19 pandemic .
The paper also offers a few recommendations that could
be implemented or followed in other African countries that have , up to this day , not tailored measures to reduce the adverse impact of the pandemic on their residential rental market . It highlights the challenges faced by the different parties involved in this sector and presents some interesting measures undertaken in developed economies toward the resilience of their rental residential markets .
EXAMPLES OF MEASURES TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF LANDLORDS AND TENANTS AROUND THE WORLD
• United States ₀ On 30 March 2020 , as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic , the Mayor of Los Angeles issued a temporary moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent by tenants . The essential measures of this moratorium are aimed at protecting the rights of both parties ( owners and tenants ) and are generally as follows :
Protecting tenants ’ rights : ₀ No eviction of a tenant due to non-payment of rent due to :
• The tenant ’ s loss of income due to the closure of his workplace or the reduction in his working hours due to the Covid-19 pandemic ;
• Loss of income or increased childcare expenditures due to school closures ;
• Medical insurance expenses resulting from a Covid-19 infection of the tenant or one of the tenants living with the tenant and diagnosed positive with the Covid-19 test ; and
• Reasonable spending following the government ’ s announcement of emergency measures . ₀ No owner will be allowed to evict ‘ without prejudice ’ during the local Covid-19 eviction moratorium . An eviction ‘ without prejudice ’ is an eviction that takes
CAHF
Admittedly , in countries with struggling economies , the limitations of the fisc programmes to subsidise rental payments by tenants .
22 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2020 SAAffordHousing saaffordablehousingmag SA Affordable Housing www . saaffordablehousing . co . za