Urban Rental Housing Markets in Tanzania. The case of Dar er Salaam and Dodoma

Rental is a significant form of tenure in major cities across Africa, and the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF) seeks to stimulate investment in rental markets, believing that for investment in this sector to increase, there is need for better data and information. This would enable investors to better quantify the risk and the opportunity, and policymakers to channel intervention appropriately. Despite being a significant sector on the continent, there is relatively little data available on key aspects of the rental market. In most cases there is limited published data available on demand profiles of tenants, rentals paid, or the quantity and quality of rental stock. CAHF’s rental housing program seeks to address this gap, supporting the data needs of investors and policy makers in rental housing. CAHF works to set an agenda for further research and interventions, both in terms of the financing of affordable rental across Africa and in its multiple forms, and key policy interventions that would support the sector’s sustainable growth.

This research seeks to deepen the previous rental research undertaken in Tanzania in 2018, by exploring the supply-side ecosystem of urban rental housing markets. The research focussed on the cities of Dar es Salaam and Dodoma. The study was carried out between October and November 2019, applying mixed methodologies to collect, analyse, and present data.