Housing Finance Policy

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A. Legal and Regulatory Framework

A.1 Legal and Regulatory Framework
VariableEnd of 2017End of 2016End of 2015SourcesVar ID
Basis of the legal system: Civil, Common, Islamic, Other? (Describe)Civil  
Country Editor
A.1.1
Are there specific laws that deal with mortgages? Yes  
Country Editor
A.1.2
Registration/Transfer of titles:A.1.3
Does the law clearly define different types of property rights?Yes  
Country Editor
A.1.3.1
 Are property rights easily transferable?Yes  
Country Editor
A.1.3.2
Identify barriers to the registration/ transfer of property title.Various cases, which can be summarized as follows: Cost; Holder of title deed may differ from seller; Restrictions on minimum plot size of farm land, however small plots being transferred in reality; fraud based on inexperience of others; lack of consent of family members  
Country Editor
A.1.3.3
Typical number of days needed for the transfer of title323232
WDI
A.1.3.4
Can liens be effectively enforced?No  
Country Editor
A.1.4
Are there legal constraints on the types of mortgage products that are permitted?No  
Country Editor
A.1.5
Are there legal constraints on mortgage features?No  
Country Editor
A.1.6
Interest rate capsNo  
Country Editor
A.1.6.1
Loan-to-Value capNo  
Country Editor
A.1.6.2
Payment-to-Income maximumNo  
Country Editor
A.1.6.3
OtherNo  
Country Editor
A.1.6.4
Are there consumer rights for mortgage lending? Yes  
Country Editor
A.1.7
Are there disclosure requirements for mortgage lending?Yes  
Country Editor
A.1.8
Is there specialized legislation covering:A.1.9
B. Housing Finance Subsidies
B.1 Subsidies to Housing Finance Institutions
VariableEnd of 2017End of 2016End of 2015SourcesVar ID
Are there subsidized funding sources for mortgage lenders?No  
Country Editor
B.1.1
Special government lines of credit No  
No
B.1.1.1
Government supported liquidity facilityYes  
Country Editor
B.1.1.2
Labor or other tax funds for mortgage lendingNo  
Country Editor
B.1.1.3
Tax breaks on mortgage bonds or RMBSYes  
Country Editor
B.1.1.4
Loss and/or cash flow guarantees for RMBSNo  
No
B.1.1.5
OtherNo  
Country Editor
B.1.1.6
Is the lending side of the housing finance system subsidized?No  
Country Editor
B.1.2
Shared credit risk through public/private mortgage insurance No  
Country Editor
B.1.2.1
Guarantees for mortgage loansNo  
Country Editor
B.1.2.2
OtherNo  
Country Editor
B.1.2.3
B.2 Subsidies to Households
VariableEnd of 2017End of 2016End of 2015SourcesVar ID
Are there subsidies to households on housing finance?Yes  
Country Editor
B.2.1
Interest rate subsidies by special government fundsNo  
Country Editor
B.2.1.1
Buy-down of monthly/interest paymentsNo  
Country Editor
B.2.1.2
Down-payment subsidies No  
Country Editor
B.2.1.3
Subsidies to savings for mortgage loansNo  
Country Editor, MIFOTRA (Ministry of Public Service and Labor)
B.2.1.4
Reach of subsidies in 2.1.1 to 2.1.4 ?B.2.2
C. Taxation
VariableEnd of 2017End of 2016End of 2015SourcesVar ID
What taxes apply to Residential Real Estate?C.1
Tax on property (home-owners) Yes  
Country Editor
C.1.1
Property transaction taxes (purchase/selling)Yes  
Country Editor
C.1.2
Mortgage transaction taxesYes  
Country Editor
C.1.3
Tax on mortgage interest pmtsYes  
Country Editor
C.1.4
Tax on capital gains on property No   
RRA Tax Handbook 2017
C.1.5
OtherYes  
Country Editor
C.1.6
Are there tax benefits on rental properties?No  
Country Editor
C.2
back to top | Country Data:
Notes: planned/proposed for civil servants but not yet adopted
Notes: $67 is average monthly salary for formal sector work
Notes: 24-32
Notes: 35.2 billion FRW outstanding loans; 4,947.53 million FRW non perfroming loans (UMURENGE SACCO only) For all MF products 17,080.69 Mio RWF NPL; 222.9 Mio Rwf outstanding
Notes: adopted in 2017 but not yet implemented
Notes: adopted yet not implemented (see subsidized funding sources for mortgage lenders)
Notes: Base year
Notes: BNR: Yield curve shape on 23rd March 2018
Notes: BRD already stopped providing mortgages itself and instead will furnish smaller banks with funds for mortgages under conditions yet to be elaborated (as adopted with Affordable Housing Fund, but not yet operational).
Notes: Commercial Bank of Africa was licensed as a microfinance bank in 2016
Notes: Credit Replacement Indemnity
Notes: Disclosure Initiative, following IASB
Notes: Equity Bank, BK, UOB, EcoBank, I&M, Crane Bank, KCB, Cogebank, Access, BPR
Notes: Extrapolation based on RNRA (Rwanda National Resources Authority)
Notes: Figure calculated as of June 30, 2012
Notes: Figure calculated as of June 30, 2013
Notes: Figure calculated as of June 30,2013
Notes: for selling
Notes: Houses built with Wood/Mud
Notes: Illegal transfers of converted agricultural land prevent this figure from being fully complete
Notes: in the capital city
Notes: Land lease fee
Notes: Modal value
Notes: Most are outside of Kigali and the main urban areas in general but located on former farm land; very rough estimate
Notes: No national minimum wage, but some sectors, such as construction benefit from a minimum wage.
Notes: Only few have not been registered through NLTRP (National Land Tenure Reform Program) due to unidentified owners or unresolved ownership disputes
Notes: Percentage of vacant units is negligible. Some owners of property are not identified/found after the 1994 genocide
Notes: planned through Affordable Housing Fund
Notes: planned through Affordable Housing Fund
Notes: planned/proposed for civil servants but not yet adopted
Notes: Process usually ends in reorganization/liquidation
Notes: Soon BRD will be subsidized as a source for mortgage lenders (Development bank of Rwanda)
Notes: subsidies provided to civil servants through Affordable Housing Fund
Notes: subsidized interest rate reduction planned through Affordable Housing Fund
Notes: There is a wide range from 25,000 - 125,000
Notes: urban: 49.2 m2 rural: 36.8 m2
Notes: Wide range from 25,000 - 125,000