Practices of Private Rental Housing and Its Policy Implication for Public Servants in Ethiopia: the case of Addis Ababa City Administration

Abstract

The study investigates the practices of private rental housing and its policy implication for public servants in Ethiopia: the case of Addis Ababa City Administration. Specifically, the study takes a firm look at the relationship between the homeowner and renter; the actual practice of private rental housing in the city, and the government policy options available to improve the private rental segment of the housing market to the public service employees in Addis Ababa City. In this effect, the research employed a cross-sectional survey design with the use of concurrent triangulation mixed research method, which combines both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire from 422 respondents. In addition, qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews, key informant interviews,s and focus group discussions. The qualitative data was categorized manually according to the most salient themes, and then analyzed and interpreted thematically. The result shows that the majority of the respondents do not have written contractual agreements with the homeowners. However, there is an oral agreement between the homeowner and renter. Public servants faced discrimination based on their level of income, having children; due to household size; due to gender; religion, and discrimination based on their ethnicity. There are no specific laws that specify or determine the scale of house rent. This is because the government is not determined to take decisive measures that are capable of resolving the existing problems. Homeowners and brokers increase rent anytime and every time they want because there are no rules and regulations that deal with the issue of homeowner and renter. Therefore, it is recommended that the government should focus on developing rental houses in the years to come since this sector has not been adequately exploited.