Housing in Burundi

The preliminary 2024 population and housing survey (RGPHAE) recorded 12,332,788 inhabitants and 2,251 homeless people. Housing types include ordinary houses, row houses, simple and multi-storey villas, apartments, farmhouses, and traditional houses and huts. In 2020, 89.4% of walls and 86.1% of roofs were made of good materials, but only 15.7% of floors were considered good nationwide; the figure was 65.2% in cities and 9.7% in rural areas. Adobe, brick, sheet metal, roof tiles and thatch are common depending on the region and construction method. Ownership is particularly prevalent in rural areas: in 2020, 89.3% of rural households lived in their own housing, compared with 44.0% in cities. Nationwide, 9.1% of households rented, compared with 46.4% in cities and 4.6% in rural areas; 6.3% used housing free of charge. In Bujumbura and other cities, land prices, access, water, electricity, drainage and flood risks have a particularly strong influence on housing conditions. The reviewed primary sources do not establish a uniform nationwide system for social rents or rent control; social or integrated settlement programmes depend on individual projects and target groups. When buying or building, the chain of ownership should be checked. This may involve a land title (titre foncier) or land certificate (certificat foncier), identity documents, property boundaries, encumbrances, a deed of sale and review by a notary. The land-title and cadastral authority (DTFCN) and the National Cadastre (Cadastre National) maintain registers and titles; for rights that have not yet been registered, the communal land service (Service Foncier Communal) and the hill-level recognition commission (Commission de reconnaissance collinaire) may be responsible. A land certificate confirms a right in rem, while other rights are documented in the communal register. Without an established communal service, a municipality cannot issue this certificate. Customary-use rights are widespread locally but are often undocumented and therefore more difficult to prove. New construction, extensions and substantial alterations generally require a building permit. The application is submitted through the Burundi Housing Authority (OBUHA) or the one-stop office (Guichet Unique) and may require plans, an allocation letter (lettre d’attribution) or title, a cadastral extract, surveying, information about a septic tank (fosse septique) or soakaway pit (puits perdu), a cost estimate and usage rules. Multi-storey buildings may require a geotechnical study and structural calculations. The authority states that construction liability insurance is required from a cost estimate of 100,000,000 FBu. Without a permit, construction stoppage, sanctions, subsequent modifications or, where applicable, demolition may follow; no uniform nationwide processing period is evidenced. The government Building Permit System has enabled digital submissions since 2024, although status and fees depend on the relevant portal and procedure. Rental housing is usually found through private landlords, agents or personal networks. Before making a payment, the rent in FBu, payment schedule, advance payment or deposit, additional costs, repairs, subletting, termination and handover should be recorded in writing. The landlord’s ownership or authorization, receipts, photographs, meter readings, water and electricity connections, sanitation, drainage, flood risks and building safety should also be checked. The earlier entry for Decree-Law No. 1/25 of 30.07.1977 (Décret-Loi n°1/25) is marked as abrogated; old rent ceilings or deadlines must therefore not be adopted without current verification. Tenant and landlord obligations depend on the contract and applicable law, so general statements about deposits, notice periods or repayment are not reliable. For purchases, construction, land acquisition or rental-housing development, KCB offers a housing loan product for Burundians living in Burundi, the diaspora and non-Burundians living there. The maximum term for housing purposes is 20 years, and financing generally extends to up to 75% of the value; for Bujumbura the product states up to 75%, while it states 60% for Gitega and Ngozi. According to the product information, the interest rate starts at 14%. Typical evidence includes approved plans, a building permit, a title or official search, valuation, proof of income and bank statements, and insurance. Approval, interest rate and affordability depend on the product and the individual assessment. After a sale or transfer, the document chain must remain complete. The property-transfer registration (mutation) with the communal tax service must be completed within one month according to the reviewed information. For a land certificate, the application and the original or a certified copy are submitted; the old certificate is cancelled and a new one is issued, and communal fees may be charged according to the local tariff. The georeferenced digital property-owner register (RPPCUB), launched in 2026, initially records owners of land and real estate in Mugere, Mukaza, Ntahangwa, Gitega, Ngozi and Rumonge. It is intended to create a georeferenced digital register of owners and is not equivalent to a tenancy or possession certificate.