Rental Housing Amendment Bill [B 56-2013]

The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements invites you to submit written comments on the Rental Housing Amendment Bill [B 56-2013].

The Bill seeks to:
▪ amend the Rental Housing Act, 1999 (Act No. 43 of 2007), so as to substitute and insert definitions;
▪ set out the rights and obligations of tenants and landlords in a coherent manner;
▪ require leases to be in writing;
▪ extend the application of Chapter 4 to all provinces;
▪ require MECs to establish Rental Housing Tribunals;
▪ extend the powers of the Rental Housing Tribunal;
▪ provide for an appeal process;
▪ require all local municipalities to have Rental Housing Information Office;
▪ provide for norms and standards related to rental housing;
▪ extend offences.

Public hearings will be held in Parliament on Tuesday, 28 & Wednesday, 29 January 2014.

Comments can be emailed to Ms Koliswa Pasiya at [email protected] by no later than Friday, 13 December 2013 at 16:00

Enquiries can be directed to Ms Koliswa Pasiya on tel (021) 403 3725 or cell 083 709 8495

Issued by Ms B Dambuza, MP, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements

Background in Bill's Memorandum
"Since the promulgation of the Rental Housing Amendment Act, 2007, the Department undertook a monitoring and implementation process with regard to the Act. Various areas of concern were identified. The rights and obligations of tenants and landlords must accordingly be clearly demarcated in rental housing legislation so as to enable these parties to know and understand their rights and obligations. Proof of rights and obligations must be available and to this regard it is necessary that lease agreements be in writing. It was identified that there is a need for each and every province to establish Rental Housing Tribunals and for Municipalities to establish Rental Housing Information Offices. All provinces and Municipalities are faced with similar Rental Housing challenges, whether formal or backyard. It was evident from the monitoring and implementation process that not all provinces have established Rental Housing Tribunals. Some of the provinces have only recently established their Rental Housing Tribunals and only after intervention by the Department. These Tribunals must be strengthened in their authority and functions to ensure that they offer an effective service".