The Minister of State for Housing, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi this week presented a bill prohibiting landlords from charging rent in foreign currency for residential and business premises.
The proposal is one of the several contained in the Landlord and Tenant Bill, 2018, which seeks to regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants; and to reform and consolidate the law relating to the letting of premises.
According to Clause 23 (1) of the Bill, “The rent payable for any premises under a tenancy shall be determined by mutual agreement of the parties to the tenancy.”
The Bill adds in Clause 23 (2) that “all rent obligations or transactions shall be expressed, recorded and settled in the shilling, unless otherwise provided under any enactment, or is lawfully agreed to between the parties to an agreement under any lawful obligation.”
It also requires that a landlord gives a tenant a 90 days’ notice before increasing rent payable, which increase will not be permissible at intervals of less than twelve months.
The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga who chaired the plenary sitting, referred the Bill to the House Committee on Physical Infrastructure for consideration.
