BULAWAYO City Council has warned residents that leased properties are not inheritable without proper ownership documentation.
The local authority made the remarks in response to social media reports claiming that BCC is repossessing houses occupied on lease agreements.
Bulawayo town clerk Christopher Dube, however, urged residents to disregard the claims.
“The City of Bulawayo wishes to further clarify that leasehold properties are not inherited. As such they should take homeownership schemes which most suburbs can now convert to,” Dube said in a notice on Monday.
“In the event of death of the leaseholder, those in occupancy do not automatically inherit the property by operation of law, but should make a strong case to be considered as new leaseholders,” he said.
“If the property already has title deeds, any change of ownership is done through legal practitioners who act as conveyancers using the Registrar of Deeds office. When an owner of a freehold property dies, the ownership can only change through the courts in terms of the Deceased Estate Act.”
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Dube said council had clear policies on repossession of stands or rented properties.
“In the event where repossessions are done, they are in terms of the laws of the country,” he wrote in the notice.”
“Social media reports on the repossession of leased properties with outstanding bills were not true. The City of Bulawayo is not aware of this operation and wishes to highlight that each property is unique in terms of its ownership history, therefore, there cannot be a blanket action.”
He added that the city’s housing administration was governed through council policies, legislation and court orders to ensure security of tenure and property rights. Dube advised residents to approach council offices for clarification.