Requirements To Rent

  • Applications shall be considered on a first come first served basis.
  • Applicants must be 21 years of age or above at the time of application.
  • Potential applicants are informed that 30% of their net monthly income should be equal to or exceed the rent of the house they intend to apply for.
  • Individuals should provide their latest pay slip and 6 months’ recent bank statements and those of their spouses for married couples; companies must provide 6 months’ recent bank statements.
  • All applicants are to bring an affidavit to show that neither them nor their spouse rent or own a property obtained directly from BHC.
  • Potential applicants who in the past 5 years were evicted from a BHC property for breach of contract will not be considered.

All interested applicants are required to further provide the following:

  • Copies of their Identity documents (Omang/Passport) and Certificate of Naturalization in case of those born outside Botswana.
  • ITC clearance certificate for the applicant (should not be more than 3 months old)
  • Married applicants must provide certified copies of their marriage certificates and consent from spouse to apply for accommodation.
  • Allocation is subject to passing BHC’s Credit Worthiness Test.

In addition to the above, citizen controlled companies are required to provide the following:

  • Copy of company registration certificate certified by the Registrar of Companies.
  • Copies of share certificates and Identity Cards of shareholders certified by Registrar of Companies.
  • Certified copies of Certificates of Naturalization, if shareholders were born outside Botswana.
  • Company resolution on renting of a BHC property.
  • Tax clearance certificate
  • A list of directors and the contact details
  • Itc clearance certificate for directors

Your Lease Agreement

Your lease agreement is an important legal document. It sets out the terms and conditions of your tenancy and the rights and responsibilities of both Landlord and Tenant. If you do not keep to the terms of the agreement, you may lose your home.

Below is a list of the main items of this agreement:

  • The name and address of the landlord.
  • The landlord’s physical address
  • The length of the tenancy, with start and end dates.
  • Rent: amount due, when it is due, how it should be paid and if it will increase during the tenancy.
  • How much is the security deposit.
  • Who is responsible for internal decoration, internal and external repairs and maintenance.
  • Conditions for tenant’s initiated improvements
  • Any condition or restrictions on the use of the property, for example; about subletting and general use of the property.

Ending Your Tenancy

You may end your tenancy at the end of the fixed term. If you want to leave when the fixed term ends, you should give your landlord a written notice of at least one (1) calendar month prior to the tenancy end date.

You may as well opt to end your tenancy before the fixed term ends: in this case, you must give the landlord (BHC) at least a one (1) calendar month notice as provided for in the lease agreement.

Breach Of Tenancy

If you breach any of the terms of the tenancy agreement, BHC can seek possession of the property using the grounds for regaining possession as stated under part below (Grounds for BHC regaining possession of its property).

Grounds For BHC Regaining Possession of its Property

Some of the grounds in which BHC can use to evict a tenant are as follows
  • Persistent delay in paying rent.
  • Some rent is unpaid (arrears)
  • The tenant has allowed or caused damage to the property or the building’s common parts.
  • The tenant has used the property for illegal purposes or has caused a nuisance or annoyance to neighbours.
  • The landlord intends to carry out major works on the property.

Paying Rent For Your BHC Home

Rent is paid monthly in advance for individual and quarterly in advance for corporates.

You can pay your rent in a numbers of ways but monthly by Direct Debit/Salary Deductions are our preferred methods. These are the most reliable forms of payment: they save you from having to remember to make payments on the right dates and can be automatically amended to reflect changes in rent. There is a presumption for all new tenancies that rent will be paid by Direct Debit.

Arreas

It is important that you pay your rent or any amounts due to the landlord (BHC) for example chargeable maintenance on time but we will deal with you fairly if you fall behind and will take account of any specific difficulties you may be facing. However, we will not ignore arrears of rent/chargeable maintenance, because this would increase the cost of managing and maintaining our housing for everyone else.

If you know you are going to have difficulty paying the rent/chargeable maintenance or you have received a letter from us saying you owe rent, you should contact us immediately on the number shown on your rent demand or arrears notice.

Court Action

If you do not pay off arrears on your account in an agreed way, particularly if they continue to grow, we will start legal proceedings to get back the money you owe in accordance with the terms of your agreement. In serious cases, where you make no attempt to clear or reduce the arrears at an agreed rate, we will ask the Courts for an order to repossess your home.

We tell you this so that you know what rent arrears can lead to and to encourage you to talk to us at an early stage so we do not need to take legal action.

Landlord’s Main Responsibilities

  • Respect the fact that the property is your home and allow you to enjoy it without unnecessary interruption or disturbance.
  • Carry out repairs in an effective and timely manner as contained in the lease agreement.

Tenant’s Responsibilities

  • To look after the property in accordance with the terms of your tenancy agreement.
  • To pay your rent fully and on time as agreed.
  • To occupy the property as your main home.
  • To read and comply with the lease agreement.
  • Not to carry out any home improvements or alterations until you get a written permission from BHC.
  • To report promptly the need for repairs to the landlord.
  • Allowing us to have access to the property, with reasonable notice, to carry out inspections and repairs.

Getting Repairs Done

Routine Repairs

Most of our repairs are carried out as part of a planned maintenance cycle. For example we aim to do major decorations/repairs every five years and will often carry out a survey of properties prior to this.

You will be notified in advance of when such repairs are planned so you can agree access arrangements and highlight any maintenance work that you believe is required.

Where repairs become necessary outside this planned cycle, you should notify our call center (Tel: 3159902 cell/landline or 1167 landline only) and let them know the following:

  • Your name and plot number
  • The nature of the problem giving as much detail as possible
  • An idea of urgency
  • Convenient times for someone to come to inspect or deal with it.
The full list of chargeable maintenance items can be requested from our maintenance department

Being a Good Neighbour

Use Of The Property

We expect you to live in the property as your principal home and not use it to run any form of business or for any activity that is not consistent with a private domestic residence. You must not allow the property to become overcrowded or to be used for any illegal or immoral purpose.

Behaviour

You are responsible for the behavior of people who live with you or visit you. This responsibility covers behavior in your home, and in the locality. You, or they, must not:
  • Behave in ways that cause nuisance, annoyance, harassment, alarm or distress to other people.
  • Create unreasonable noise
  • Cause damage to the property or the locality
  • Commit an arrest able offence in the property or locality

Home Contents Insurance

You are strongly advised to take out your own home contents insurance, as the BHC building insurance will not cover the cost for replacing your personal belongings if they are damaged or stolen.