Housing in Zambia

The 2022 Census recorded 4,025,402 housing units in Zambia, including 2,651,166 household-owned units. Among acquired homes, self-building accounted for 2,061,805 units, compared with 234,764 purchased units, 175,815 freely inherited units and 11,315 mortgage-financed units. This makes self-building and inheritance the dominant ownership paths, while formal mortgage finance remains marginal. Urban housing commonly includes detached, terraced, semi-detached and apartment buildings. The Census recorded 1,878,094 urban units, including 1,120,324 detached homes, 312,501 terraced homes, 263,963 semi-detached homes and 90,061 flats or apartments. Rural housing included 2,147,308 units, with 888,219 huts and 1,084,465 detached homes. Housing conditions also vary widely: access to a proper toilet was recorded for 77.3% of urban units and 37.6% of rural units, while access to safe drinking water was 91.7% in urban areas and substantially lower in rural areas. The 2022 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey reported owner-occupied housing at 71.8% and private-landlord housing at 19.4% in its sample of 8,520 households. The sample figures describe that survey and must not be treated as national population shares. Other arrangements included housing provided free by an employer, Central Government, a district council or a parastatal, meaning a state-owned or state-controlled organization. Private renting can use a written or verbal lease. The Rent Act, Cap 206, regulates dwelling houses and includes rules on standard rent, rent increases, premiums and advance rent, subject to exceptions such as employment housing, Government-let housing, board and lodging, and leases longer than 21 years. For annual rent up to K100,000, the subordinate court of first class is the first court named in the research; claims above that amount fall within the High Court jurisdiction. The contract and the Act determine payment, repair, possession and termination duties. Tenants and landlords should keep rent receipts, tenancy evidence, allocation or title documents, utility records and meter readings. Customary land is land administered through traditional authorities rather than the state leasehold system. Access commonly involves a chiefdom process and the relevant local council. A Customary Land Documentation Certificate can strengthen evidence of tenure, but it is not automatically a state title. Council allocation, informal occupation, customary documentation and a registered title therefore have different legal and practical effects. Conversion from customary land to state leasehold and title may involve the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Zambia Integrated Land Administration System (ZILAS), the Lands and Deeds Registry, local planning and construction approval. Online land and ground-rent services are available through ZILAS and ZamPortal, although connectivity in remote districts can limit access. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development leads national housing, urban development and social-housing policy. The National Housing Authority operates under Cap 195 and can develop housing, sell or rent homes, prepare plans and manage estates. Local authorities and district councils handle local planning, council housing and settlement upgrading. Traditional authorities and councils are involved in customary-land access and documentation. The National Housing Authority, Zambia National Building Society, commercial banks and microfinance institutions may provide different housing, construction, purchase or renovation pathways, subject to income, security, eligibility and land documentation. Mortgage terms depend on the lender and can change. A Zambia National Building Society rate sheet effective 16 October 2025 listed 21.5% for outright purchase, home improvement, equity and balance-transfer loans, 23.5% for construction loans, 21.5% for Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) new recruits, and 21.5% for group or collective lending. The listed maximum terms were 25 years for most individual products, 30 years for GRZ new recruits and 10 years for group or collective lending. These rates are not a national standard. The lender also checks income, security, title or other land evidence and the proposed construction or purchase. Housing supplied by the National Housing Authority or councils may follow separate allocation, rental, purchase or estate-management rules. A Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone project announced 10,000 planned units, with 2,000 units announced from June 2025 and purchase or rent-to-buy options under discussion. Registration was described as non-binding, and the Lusaka project does not establish nationwide availability. Rent-to-buy transfers ownership only after the contract conditions are fulfilled; paying rent alone does not create ownership. A phased Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development social-housing programme targets vulnerable people registered with the Social Cash Transfer programme. Eligibility depends on the programme, so it is not evidence of a universal housing benefit. Local rent levels, deposits, service charges, transport, utility access, title work, planning approval, financing and construction costs vary by location and case. No reliable national rent, waiting-list or uniform construction-cost figure should be assumed. The National Housing Policy 2020–2024 was under review according to a parliamentary report dated 2 December 2025, with the review reported as having started in September 2025. The reviewed sources did not establish a new enacted national housing policy. The National Housing Authority Amendment Bill 2026 was documented only as being in the legislative process at first reading. Sales, transfers, inheritance and mortgage releases involving registered land require the relevant land and registry records to be updated through the competent process.