Housing in Seychelles

Private rental is widely used in Seychelles, including whole homes, rooms, part rental and sublet arrangements. The 2022 Census recorded 16.2% of households as renting, including 11.1% in sublet arrangements and 4.2% in government rental housing. A written lease should identify the parties, property, rent, payment date, duration, permitted use and any restrictions. The tenant should record the condition of the property with photographs and an inventory, keep rent receipts and report repairs promptly. Seychelles does not have a single current national rent price list, standard deposit or uniform notice period established in the reviewed official sources, so the lease and the circumstances of the tenancy require close review. The Control of Rent and Tenancy Agreements Act, Cap. 47, uses the terms lessor for the landlord and lessee for the tenant. A lessor must provide habitable accommodation, support safe use and carry out necessary repairs. The lessor must respect reasonable privacy and give notice before entering, and may not change the locks or stop water or electricity during a lawful tenancy. A lessee must pay rent, follow the lease, avoid nuisance and illegal use, prevent over-occupation and obtain permission before subletting where the lease requires it. The Rent Board is an independent tribunal for tenancy matters. It can decide certain rent disputes, set, reduce or increase rent and order eviction, while the Victoria Magistrate Court and the Judiciary handle related proceedings. A landlord may not remove a lawful tenant by self-help; a Rent Board order is required for eviction in the covered cases. Grounds can include rent arrears, breach of contract, nuisance, illegal use, unauthorised subletting, over-occupation, sale or reletting after notice, the owner’s or family’s housing need, demolition, rebuilding or repairs that require the property to be vacant. The Board can set a reasonable move-out period and order payment of arrears, and an appeal to the Supreme Court must generally be filed within 14 days. The Rent Board does not decide outstanding water or electricity charges. Ownership may take the form of freehold, leasehold or condominium ownership. Before a purchase or transfer, a buyer should search the registered land record, obtain a green-sheet and mortgage search from the Registration Division and check the property’s transfer position with the Registrar General. The Seychelles Revenue Commission requires an Immovable Property Tax Clearance Certificate before a property transfer, with a stated fee of SCR 100. Seychellois first-time buyers may apply for stamp-duty relief for a residential transfer or lease up to SCR 3,000,000 under the applicable 2019 Order as amended in 2024, subject to the required evidence and certificate. Non-Seychellois generally need Government Sanction before buying, leasing or exercising an option to buy property. The application is handled through the Principal Secretary for Lands or the Department of Lands & Housing, with a notary or attorney commonly involved. Sanction is valid for one year and the transaction must then be completed and registered. State freehold, freehold on outlying islands and state-subsidised land or housing are not available for this process. Current thresholds include a private residential dwelling with a market value of at least SCR 10,000,000, bare land at least SCR 4,000 per square metre and a condominium at least SCR 30,000 per square metre. The stated sanction duties are 12% for a purchase and 1.5% for a condominium, with application fees of SCR 3,000 for a purchase and SCR 2,000 for a lease. Approved processing can cost 1.5% of the purchase value or the annual market rent. Applications require documents such as a certified passport, recent utility bills, police clearance, politically exposed person and source-of-funds declarations and proof of funds. Non-Seychellois residential property owners must register for property tax; the rate for residential or mixed residential property is 0.50% of market value, normally due by 31 December, and non-registration can attract a fine of about SCR 10,000. A one-year exemption may apply to one residential ownership after 1 January 2020, and an exemption may apply where the owner is married to a Seychellois. State housing and land programmes are administered mainly by the Department of Lands & Housing. A general housing application normally requires Seychellois citizenship, age 18 or over and stable employment, and can be submitted online or on paper. Social housing requires citizenship, at least three continuous years of domicile, no previous property ownership and monthly income below SCR 15,000. Midrange housing generally requires citizenship, age 18 or over, at least three years of domicile, no property ownership or previous state housing, loan or plot assistance and stable employment. The income range is SCR 12,000 to SCR 19,000 in combined net monthly income for the midrange condominium process, while the condominium process generally requires at least SCR 20,000 and similar eligibility conditions. The Land Bank or state-land process involves an application, assessment, a three-year maturity period, an intake with identification and financial documents, an ageing list and allocation. Waiting time depends on the national waiting list, the project or district and available land. Housing finance is available through Housing Finance Company Ltd or HFCL and commercial banks. The Housing Finance Subsidy Scheme is limited to Seychellois who are gainfully employed or self-employed, have one property, no other dwelling and a fixed income below SCR 30,000 gross monthly income as defined by the scheme. Applicants generally obtain a bank or HFCL loan first and then apply for the subsidy. The interest-rate subsidy is 6% for net income up to SCR 20,000. A housing loan can reach SCR 1,200,000 for up to 30 years when the land is in the applicant’s name and net salary is no more than SCR 30,000. Other schemes cover a second housing loan up to SCR 850,000, vertical extension up to SCR 950,000, major renovation up to SCR 400,000, house extension up to SCR 300,000, re-roofing up to SCR 150,000 and home improvement for salaries up to SCR 20,000. Pensioners aged 65 or over may have separate pathways. A vertical extension can provide a multigenerational home, but it requires the owner’s written consent, Seychelles Planning Authority permission and suitable financing. The person building first on family land should secure written rights and consent even where ownership of the land is not transferred. The Physical Planning Act 2021 requires prior written permission from the Seychelles Planning Authority for development. This can include building, a material change of use, subdivision, demolition and certain roof, boundary-wall or road works. Land-use and development plans can restrict what may be built, and unauthorised construction can prevent approval later. Some purely internal, non-structural maintenance may be exempt. Indicative fees include SCR 500 for a dwelling up to 125 square metres, SCR 500 for a multiple unit up to 125 square metres, SCR 500 for an extension up to 40 square metres and no more than one sixth of the existing floor area, and SCR 1,000 for a residential structural plan. Fees and thresholds should be checked against the current Seychelles Planning Authority rules. The Home Savings Scheme can support housing-related applications, including a formal part-rental subsidy process. That process requires at least three months of active contributions, employment, a valid dated lease, the landlord’s NIN, contact and bank details, the applicant’s NIN, recent payslips or utility bills, three months of rent receipts and a Home Savings Scheme statement. Additional evidence may be needed for dependants, alimony or welfare. Cancelling Home Savings Scheme participation can result in a charge of 1% of contributions or at least SCR 250, and the application cannot be reactivated afterward. Temporary housing is a formal Department of Lands & Housing process for emergencies, with detailed conditions set by the applicable form or policy. Housing insurance or Housing Finance Company coverage may also be required under particular finance schemes.