Housing in Maldives

The 2022 Census recorded 94,424 households and 83,965 housing units in the Maldives. Households mainly used houses, flats and apartments, while 10,459 people lived in collective living quarters such as labour or staff quarters, boarding houses, guesthouses, hotels, shelters, institutions or boats. The Greater Malé definition includes Malé, Hulhumalé, Vilimalé and Hulhulé. It contained 42,571 households and 3,927 collective living quarters; the atolls contained 51,853 households and 6,532 collective living quarters. Private housing is commonly found through owners, agents and local networks. A rental or tenancy agreement should record the rent, deposit, utility payments, repairs, subletting, notice, permitted occupants and handover condition. The reviewed national sources do not establish one standard deposit, notice or eviction rule for every private tenancy, so the written agreement and the applicable arrangement matter. There is no identified national rent ceiling for ordinary private housing. The MBS Rental Survey 2025 provides rental information, while the former Hiyaa programme's subsidised ceiling of up to MVR 7,500 per month is historical and should not be treated as a general current benchmark. Maldivian households may use inherited or allotted land, construct a house, rent privately or apply for a state plot or flat when a particular scheme opens. Public housing access is scheme-specific. The application may involve eligibility checks, scoring, a published list, complaints, a draw, an agreement and handover. The 2026 Aailee Boahiyaavahikan and Goathi Gedhoru programmes received 58,505 applications. A Digital Allocation System can provide status information by form number, but an application does not guarantee a dwelling or a fixed completion date. Island or city council principles may also affect access. HDC supports housing-related services in Hulhumalé, including housing information, payments, tenant requests and building permits. A strata title identifies an individual apartment together with a proportional share of common property. A Management Corporation administers common areas, finances, maintenance and related building matters. Transfer, resale, subletting and changes of use depend on the relevant title, scheme rules and agreement. Foreign residents commonly obtain housing through private rent, employer accommodation or a residence or work arrangement. Foreign residents do not receive an automatic entitlement to a public housing allocation. Foreign ownership of land is prohibited, while a lease may run for up to 99 years under Article 251 of the Constitution. Employer-provided accommodation for foreign workers is subject to the 2021 R-15 standards, Expat System registration or authorisation and inspection by the Ministry at least once a year. Unauthorised occupancy has reporting consequences under that system. Housing conditions also vary by island. An approved island land-use plan guides safe placement. A plot should generally be at least 20 metres from the coast, including coastal vegetation and the access road; 30 metres is the preferred oceanward distance and 50 metres may be appropriate in highly exposed areas. A house should generally stand 30 to 60 centimetres above the road, with greater elevation on flood-prone plots. Water, sewerage and electricity depend on the island and project. Maldivian citizens have a constitutional socio-economic right to housing under Article 23, but that progressive right does not create an immediate entitlement to a particular unit. State dwellings can be withdrawn after repeated breaches of applicable laws or conditions. Moving, ending a tenancy, changing a public-housing allocation or handing over a strata apartment follows the relevant lease, allocation instrument or title documents.