Ugandan businessman and property mogul Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia has commended HE.Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for signing Landlord and Tenant Bill into law something seen as a relief for both parties.

The Speaker of Parliament Anita Among yesterday revealed that President Museveni had assented to the Landlord and Tenants Bill 2021 after a meeting at State House in Entebbe on Wednesday morning. n

According to experts, the landlord and tenants law will now regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants, reforms and consolidates the law relating to letting of premises, provides for the responsibilities of landlords and tenants in respect to the letting of premises.

Sudhir who owns a wealth of building in the city is among those happy with this law saying it will streamline their relationship with tenants with each party aware of its responsibility something that has been lacking with in this sector. He says this law will finally bring sanity into the sector.

“It will check landlords who were not respecting the law and their tenants. Most landlords do not give tenants agreements. We could be the only ones who have consistently given all our tenants agreements for more than 10 years,” Sudhir said on learning of the development.

Sudhir added that The law protects both tenants and landlords. The tenants will now know their rights. It will reduce the court cases between the two parties.

The new law will also see a restriction of increment on rent being put to not more than 10 per cent annually.

Although the landlords are happy with the provision of increasing rent by 10 per cent annually, they expressed concern over the provision that bars them from forcibly evicting tenants who fail to pay rent.

Parliament also passed a provision that the currency of transaction between landlord and tenant shall be in Uganda Shillings.

The new law will also see penalties for landlords who are found liable of unlawfully evicting their tenants. This conditions the landlord to compensate a tenant three months equivalent of rent dues.

Furthermore, the law proposes that a notice for increment of rent should be issued 60 days before its implementation.