Urban Refugees decry “Exploitative” rental fees in Kampala

Panel discussion during UCOBAC conference on coexistence in urban refugee communities.
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | When Eri Mary fled Eritrea in search of safety and freedom, she imagined that the hardest part of exile would be leaving home behind. Instead, she says, it has been finding a room she can afford in Kampala.
In Uganda’s capital and its surrounding suburbs, urban refugees say the promise of safety is increasingly overshadowed by what they describe as exploitative rental practices that leave many squeezed into overcrowded rooms, living without tenancy agreements, and bracing for sudden rent hikes.
Refugees living in urban areas have decried what they describe as exorbitant rental charges, particularly in Kampala and its outskirts.
Their concerns came to the fore during a conference held in Kampala under the theme “Promoting Peaceful Coexistence in Urban Refugee Communities,” where refugees, government officials, and civil society organizations gathered to discuss the realities of urban displacement.
Refugees from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, and Pakistan said they are often charged up to three times more in rent than Ugandans for similar housing.
Some claimed that once landlords learn a prospective tenant is a refugee, the rent quoted can rise dramatically.
Several participants said they are initially offered rooms at around eight thousand shillings per month.
However, once their refugee status becomes known, the rent allegedly increases to as much as USD 1,000 per month.
Mary, an Eritrean refugee living in Kampala, said she struggles to understand why many landlords assume refugees arrive with substantial financial resources, yet they fled their countries seeking temporary safety and freedom.
“We did not come here because we are rich. We fled our countries seeking temporary safety and freedom. Yet when a landlord discovers you are a refugee, the rent changes immediately,” Mary said.
According to Mary, rental charges tend to escalate in areas with large refugee populations, forcing many to adopt coping mechanisms that compromise their dignity and privacy.“ There are no tenancy agreements.
A landlord can wake up one day and announce a rent increase. Because you are already settled, you painfully pay what the landlord demands. You end up sharing one room as a group because you cannot afford two or more rooms,” Mary said.
The conference was organized by the Uganda Community-Based Association for Women and Children Welfare, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the European Union to discuss ways of promoting peaceful coexistence in urban refugee communities.
For Musa Muhammad, a Sudanese refugee who arrived in Uganda after civil war broke out in Sudan in 2023, the pattern of rising rent has become predictable. “When I first came, I was paying what everyone else was paying. But within six months, my rent had tripled,” Musa said.
He added that rent increment notices often arrive every six months.“For us, every six months you expect a rent increment notice. When you ask what others are paying, you wonder why yours has been doubled or tripled. We need support. We should not be exploited because it was not our wish to leave our countries,” Musa said.
Adman Luqman, a Pakistani refugee, described the arithmetic of survival in stark terms. “Imagine earning USD 200 per month, yet your landlord demands USD 300 in rent. Although we are adults, we are forced to share a small room, sometimes four or five of us, just to survive. We cannot afford individual rental costs,” Luqman said.
Many refugees at the conference argued that the absence of formal tenancy agreements leaves them particularly vulnerable. Without written contracts, they say, there is little recourse when landlords increase rent or threaten eviction.
“We have repeatedly requested tenancy agreements but never receive them. When you insist, they threaten to evict you. Yet you have already settled in with your family and friends. They are taking advantage of our situation,” Mary said.
Government officials present at the conference acknowledged the tensions but offered a more complex picture.
Ronald Ayesiga, the Lubaga Division Settlement Officer, said in some cases, refugees contribute to situations that prompt landlords to increase rental prices. He singled out some Eritrean refugees, alleging that they prefer not to associate with Ugandans in the communities where they live.
“I have visited these urban refugee communities and gathered substantial information about conflicts between Ugandans and refugees. Some refugees, especially Eritreans, allegedly urge landlords to raise rent to push Ugandans out. Once landlords realize refugees can afford higher rates, they continue increasing the rent,” Ayesiga said.
Ayesiga also claimed that some refugees engage in violent behavior, citing incidents he said he had witnessed in several communities.“In some cases, Ugandans have intervened in disputes between refugee couples, only to face hostility or assault from the refugees involved,” Ayesiga said.
Dave Khayangayanga, Commissioner for Human Settlement at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, said both refugees and Ugandans must prioritize mutual respect to foster coexistence. He added that refugees need to be sensitized about their rights.
“When refugees are informed about their rights, they will be better positioned to resist unrealistic demands from landlords. Like any other Ugandan, refugees must ensure they have tenancy agreements that clearly state how much rent should be paid each month,” Khayangayanga said.
Khayangayanga pledged to partner with civil society organizations to educate both refugees and Ugandans about their rights and responsibilities as tenants to promote harmony.
However, Musa and Mary argued that unless the government makes it mandatory for landlords to provide tenancy agreements to refugees, exploitation will persist.“We should not be treated differently because we are refugees. We came here for safety. We want to live peacefully, pay our rent fairly, and contribute to the communities where we stay,” Musa said.
As Kampala continues to absorb people fleeing conflict from across the region, the debate raised at the conference extended beyond rent to the broader question of coexistence, how a city balances hospitality with fairness, and how protection can extend beyond physical safety to include dignity in everyday life.
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