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.

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. Your written intention to sell can either be hand delivered to 13th Floor, Shell House, 221 Smith Street, Durban or faxed to 031 311 3005.  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.

• 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 rental housing. Rental housing projects have been implemented in the City by a company called First Metro. You can contact First Metro on 031 307 7676 or visit their offices at Suite 201, 2nd Floor, Salisbury Centre, 322-344 Smith Street, Durban, to enquire about their units as well as current and future opportunities.

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 would like to purchase a municipal site for building a house?

The following information applies these areas:

• Chatsworth
• Phoenix
• Newlands
• Wentworth
• Merebank

Council is not selling sites in these areas to individuals. All sites will be developed and sold by developers. Adverts will be placed in the City's Ezasegagasini Metro newspaper. 

The following information applies to these areas:

• Umlazi
• KwaMashu
• Former R293 Townships

The administration of the former R293 areas has not yet been formally handed over to the eThekwini Municipality from the Province. The municipality, therefore, cannot sell any land as it is not yet the owner or custodian of such land.  The public will be informed once sales can be undertaken via the local newspapers.

Where land has been transferred to Council in these areas, contact the Housing Support and Administration Department on 031 311 1464.

All other areas

Council owned land will be sold by the Real Estate Unit via a public tender process.  Adverts will appear in the City's Ezasegagasini Metro newspaper which is published fortnightly on a Friday and distributed in the Independent Newspapers daily papers. The Gazette is also available from the City Hall (West Street entrance), Rennies House, Shell House and various other municipal centres.

Application for Council land for Commercial and Religious purposes should be addressed to The Head: Real Estate, 18th Floor, 75 Winder Street, Durban 4001.

Where do I find ownership details and access maps?

From the Real Estate Unit at 18th Floor, 75 Winder Street, Durban – 031 311 4322,  or the Surveying and Land Information Department at 4th Floor, 166 Old Fort Road, Durban – 031 311 7222/3.

You will need to supply a street address or property description. Maps are available from the Surveying and Land Information Department.

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. 

Housing Rental Offices Contact Information