Quick facts on low-cost government houses

The application process

• You can only apply for a low-cost house if you are a South African citizen over the age of 21.
• Married couples can apply together, as can partners or single people with dependants.
• The joint income of the household should not exceed R3 500.
• There can only be one subsidy per applicant. If you have applied for a house before and your application was rejected with good reasons, you may not apply again.
• Applications can be done at municipal housing offices.
• The housing officials in your municipality must notify you when your house is ready.
• If you already own a house under a separate scheme such as a home loan from a bank, you cannot apply for an RDP house.

Living in your house

• Once you get your house, you should inspect it for flaws like cracks or leaks.
• If there are any, you should report these to your municipality within six months of occupying the house.
• Before you may renovate or extend the house allocated to you, permission must be sought from your local housing authority – the same office where you applied for a house.
• You may not rent out or sell your house within the first five years of occupation.
• If a couple who has been allocated a house gets divorced, the court must decide what happens with the house.

Rights of beneficiaries

• Once you have applied for an RDP house, you have the right of access to information on the process of allocation. The Promotion of Access to Information Act allows you to obtain information from your local housing authority regarding the status of your application.
• You may ask to view your details on the waiting list at your local housing office at any time.
• You are not required to pay any fee prior to, or while occupying your house, except for rates and taxes as determined by your local municipality.
• Should you have any reason to suspect fraud or corruption by a public official, you should contact the Department of Human Settlements, the government’s Special Anti-Corruption and Fraud Unit, the presidential hotline, the Office of the Public Protector, or the Public Service Commission.