The Estate Agents Council (EAC) is creating a database aimed at blacklisting bad tenants.
The database is expected to go a long way in safeguarding property owners against the bad tenants.
The financial services sector has mooted the setting up of a credit bureau, as it seeks ways of reducing the vulnerability of banks to risky borrowers.
In a statement, EAC said unpaid rates/water and electricity bills had created hardships for landlords and property managers.
As a result EAC said property managers now had to vet prospective tenants.
EAC describes a bad tenant as one who habitually pays rentals late and is erratic on payment of utility bills, or does not pay at all.
“The need for a database has also been necessitated by the absence of bureau clearing agencies, which absence is enabling bad tenants to easily move from one estate agent firm to another without being tracked and without honouring rental and utility bill obligations,” EAC said.
“Following representations made by property management firms on challenges of bad tenants, a database of bad tenants has been created and now requires input from players in the estate agency industry.”
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Tenants have constantly been crying foul over continued rise in rentals, accusing property owners and landlords of trying to cash in on the acute shortage of accommodation.
The country’s housing backlog is estimated at more than 1,2 million applicants, leaving most people to turn to rented accommodation.
Early this year the government ordered property owners to reverse rentals to original lower levels after they shot up by 30%, following complaints from the public.
National Housing and Social Amenities minister Giles Mutsekwa said the hike in rentals caused distortions on the property market.
The establishment of a centralised database would make it easier for property owners to access clients’ information that would help them detect risky and blacklisted clients speedily.
Once blacklisted, tenants will find it difficult to secure accommodation.
