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)  Dual Civil/Common
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 Yes
Lands Act of 1995
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.  Mostly procedural, timeframe for registering title at the Ministry of Lands due to accuracy of record keeping and staff shortages
Country Editor
A.1.3.3
Typical number of days needed for the transfer of title45 45
WDI
A.1.3.4
Can liens be effectively enforced?  Yes
Country Editor
A.1.4
Number of months until lender acquires the property in case of foreclosure on a single-family residential property?  3
Country Editor
A.1.4.1
Cost of foreclosure process as a percentage of the value of a typical loan?   5%
Editor
A.1.4.2
Main causes of inefficiencies (legal, judiciary, administrative, cultural, etc.)  Legal/Cultural
Country Editor
A.1.4.3
Are there legal constraints on the types of mortgage products that are permitted?  Yes
Country Editor
A.1.5
Are there legal constraints on mortgage features?  Yes
Country Editor
A.1.6
Interest rate capsYesYesYes
2018 CAHF Yearbook
A.1.6.1
Loan-to-Value cap  Yes
Country Editor
A.1.6.2
Payment-to-Income maximum  Yes
Country Editor
A.1.6.3
Other  No
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
Issuance of covered mortgage bonds NoNo
Country Editor
A.1.9.1
Issuance of RMBS  No
Country Editor
A.1.9.2
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? YesYes
Country Editor
B.1.1
Special government lines of credit   Yes
Country Editor
B.1.1.1
Government supported liquidity facility  No
Country Editor
B.1.1.2
Labor or other tax funds for mortgage lending  No
Country Editor
B.1.1.3
Tax breaks on mortgage bonds or RMBS  No
Country Editor
B.1.1.4
Loss and/or cash flow guarantees for RMBS  No
Country Editor
B.1.1.5
Other  Yes
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 loans  No
Editor
B.1.2.2
Other  No
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 funds  Yes
Editor
B.2.1.1
Buy-down of monthly/interest payments  No
Editor
B.2.1.2
Down-payment subsidies   No
Editor
B.2.1.3
Subsidies to savings for mortgage loans  No
Editor
B.2.1.4
Mortgage interest deductibility from income tax  No
Editor
B.2.1.5
Other  No
Editor
B.2.1.6
Reach of subsidies in 2.1.1 to 2.1.4 ?B.2.2
What is the highest income decile targeted?  Non-applicable
 
B.2.2.1
What is the lowest income decile targeted?   Non-applicable
 
B.2.2.2
What proportion of loans is affected by the subsidies in 2.1.1 to 2.1.4?  Non-applicable
 
B.2.2.3
What proportion of loans on main residences is affected by the mortgage interest deductability in 2.1.5?  Non-applicable
 
B.2.3
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 taxes  Yes
Country Editor
C.1.3
Tax on mortgage interest pmts  Yes
Country Editor
C.1.4
Tax on capital gains on property   No
Country Editor
C.1.5
Other  Yes
Editor
C.1.6
Are there tax benefits on rental properties?  No
Country Editor
C.2
Describe tax benefits (if any) from C.1.2  None
Country Editor
C.2.1
back to top | Country Data:
Notes: LCMS T.8.8a
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Notes: % unknown, however these tend to be referrals, rather than third party applications from brokerage firms. Referrals are from estate agents and real estate developers
Notes: (2006) Living Conditions Monitoring Survey, (T. 14.2b) Includes free housing, other and missing data.
Notes: (2010) Living Conditions Monitoring Survey, (T. 14.2a) Includes free housing, other and missing data.
Notes: 10% Withholding Tax paid by the tenant to ZRA
Notes: 100% as required by law - Central Bank
Notes: 12.5%
Notes: 18.5%
Notes: 2006 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey (T. 14.2b)
Notes: 2006 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey. (T. 14.2b)
Notes: 2010 CLMS (T.14.1a)
Notes: 2010 CLMS (T.14.2a)
Notes: 2010 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey. (T. 14.2a)
Notes: 2010 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey. (T. 14.2a)
Notes: 3 types of property rights: State land leased for 99 years; Land rented by local chief/headman;land owned by counclils
Notes: 5 Commercial banks, BBZ, FNB, SCB, Stanbic, IZB, (excluding others which offer only internal loans to employees); 3 building societies, (ZNBS, FBS, PABS); 2 micro-fins / credit institution, (Ent FC, Madison); Total 10
Notes: 5 Commercial banks, BBZ, FNB, SCB, Stanbic, IZB, (excluding others which offer only internal loans to employees); 3 building societies, (ZNBS, FBS, PABS); 2 micro-fins / credit institution, (Ent FC, Madison); Total 10
Notes: 5% Property Transfer Tax paid by the seller to ZRA
Notes: 5-10% of loan amount
Notes: 9 commercial banks, 3 building societies, 2 other institutions specializing in housing finance or asset management
Notes: 9.75%
Notes: Against the lending practices established at Basel III
Notes: All lenders will use some form of credit scoring; either their own, the credit reference bureau, or both
Notes: An aggregate of population and household size based on growth rates
Notes: An aggregate of population and household size based on growth rates
Notes: Average loan size of $36,000 and 1% registration fee.
Notes: Average loan size of $36,000 and 2% legal fee.
Notes: Average loan size of $36,000 and ave. 3.0% valuation fee.
Notes: Bank of Zambia lending guidelines
Notes: Bank of Zambia Lending guidelines
Notes: Bank of Zambia lending guidelines
Notes: Based on a comparison between 2006 and 2008 LCMS data, based on actual incomes at the time.
Notes: Based on a comparison btwn 2006 and 2008 LCMS data, based on the equivalent USD exchange at the time.
Notes: BoZ only collate figures across total loans portfolio, (i.e. not mortgage specific)
Notes: Brokers
Notes: Brokers
Notes: But general ony, in terms of fulfilling the requirements of an enforceable contract
Notes: Cannot exceed 30% of income
Notes: Central Bank requirements
Notes: Commercial banks serve about 32-35% of the mortgage market
Notes: Costs of formal searches; usually included within legal fees
Notes: Customary tenure and leasehold tenure
Notes: Deposit rates around 3% (ave.), mortgage rates start from 14%, so 11%+ 16% is based on average lending rate of 19%
Notes: Domestic Credit data from Depository Corporations Survey - Statistic Fortnightly
Notes: Domestic Credit data from Depository Corporations Survey - Statistic Fortnightly
Notes: Editor estimate
Notes: Editor's Comment: Not aware of MDI being available, but I understand that an MI product has been introduced in 2013 There are also credit life insurance policies.
Notes: EFC, MAdison
Notes: Estimate, based on an average urban construction cost for self-build 85 sq.m
Notes: Estimate, based on the majority of housing stock being informal, self-build
Notes: Estimate, high for commercial, but low, for home loans from informal discussions. Would be based on USD
Notes: Estimate, low from informal discussions
Notes: Estimate, low from informal discussions
Notes: Estimate, low from informal discussions
Notes: Estimate, low from informal discussions
Notes: Estimate, low overall from informal discussions, but high in terms of proportion of foreign loans
Notes: Estimate. Includes informal / self-build - project management
Notes: Estimate. Includes informal / self-build - project management
Notes: Estimate. Includes informal / self-build - project management
Notes: Estimate. Average across housing sectors
Notes: Estimate. Average across sectors
Notes: Estimate: 4 times formal completions
Notes: Estimate: high from informal discussions
Notes: Estimate: low from informal discussions
Notes: Estimate: low from informal discussions
Notes: Estimate: Private developments, (MKP, NAPSA, Henan Gouji, Urban Shelter, NHA) c.1,000; Public sector, (services and civil servants), c.2,000; individual completions, c.2,000
Notes: Estimated: low from informal discussions
Notes: Evaluation based on total offering securitised lending. There are a wider variety engaged in non-securitised housing finance
Notes: Evaluation based on total offering securitised lending. There are a wider variety engaged in non-securitised housing finance
Notes: Evaluation based on total offering securitised lending. There are a wider variety engaged in non-securitised housing finance
Notes: Evaluation based on total offering securitised lending. There are a wider variety engaged in non-securitised housing finance
Notes: Evaluation based on total offering securitised lending. There are a wider variety engaged in non-securitised housing finance
Notes: FinMark (2013) Housing Finance Sector Review - informal discussions
Notes: FinMark (2013) Housing Finance Sector Review - informal discussions
Notes: FinMark (2013) Zambia Housing Finance Scoping Study - national
Notes: FinMark (2013) Zambia Housing Finance Sector Study, Fig. 2 - National
Notes: FNB, ZNBS, PABS, FBS
Notes: Foreign mortgage refinance facilities
Notes: Generally less than 10%
Notes: Generally less than 10%
Notes: Government recapitalized ZNBS
Notes: Habitat for Humanity
Notes: Home improvement loans and variations of the same such as home extension or home renovation loans, are primarily assessed based on the applicants capacity to repay and less-so on the intended purpose or actual value of the intended use. Loans in this category typically range from ZMW 3,000 to ZMW 150,000, ($600 to $30,000) and with terms of up to 36 months. They are essentially large consumer loans.
Notes: In so far as there are public sector institutions engaged in mortgage lending, (DBZ, ZNBS), and are offering competitive lending rates below market rates offered by private lenders (12% - ZNBS), and also a dedicated fund aimed towards lower income; Zambia Low Cost Housing Fund (ZLCHF)
Notes: In so far as there are public sector institutions engaged in mortgage lending, (DBZ, ZNBS), and have access to state funds and borrowing rates.
Notes: Informal survey based on PTT returns at Lusaka office. They receive 10-12 returns / per working day, around 3,000 pa. Tax returns are also filed at Ndola and Livingstone, (say +50%). Of the total returns received, 50% are below $30,000, suggesting more likely to be land transactions.
Notes: Informal survey of property transfer tax returns. Will include commercial and land
Notes: Interest rate cap is at 18.5% and set at 9% over policy rate for commercial banks
Notes: Key informant interviews, loan amounts in excess of $100,000
Notes: LCMS T.10.1
Notes: LCMS T.10.1
Notes: LCMS T.8.8a
Notes: Less than 1%. Farmers House have been backing Residential mortgage Securities to support its Lilayi Housing Project.
Notes: Living Conditions Monitoring Survey. Number of people residing in houses with Thatch /Palm leaf roofings
Notes: Loans / housing loans commonly require 3rd pty guarantees, and security against terminal (pension) benefits
Notes: Local Council Property Rates
Notes: Madison Asset Management Company invests in real estate developments and offers mortgages to investors
Notes: Median percentage of fees
Notes: Median percentage of fees
Notes: Minimum
Notes: More than 5%
Notes: Most MFIs are financial institutions which rely on their own funding sources, rather than borrowing at local rates of interest. Assuming a 9-10% borrowing cost, and rates of 35% per annum, results in a 25% lendign spread
Notes: Most MFIs are non-bank payroll based consumer lenders (90% of total MFI assets)
Notes: Mostly relate to BoZ guidance on lending practice
Notes: NatSave is a wholly Government owned savings institution that serves about 1% of the mortgage lending market
Notes: No regulatory constraints to using CRB other than data protection, but there are issues over the accuracy / quality of scoring
Notes: Not a specific lender, but RFIs appar to have standardised their terms againsteach other
Notes: Of the 17 commercial banks, 9 provide mortgages: Barclays, Cavmont, Citibank, Ecobank, First Alliance, First National, Indo Zambia, Stanbic Bank, Standard Chartered Bank
Notes: Offered but the practice is not common
Notes: One of the three building societies, Zambia National Building Society, is state-owned and provides mortgage lending alone with other banking services to residents.
Notes: Over 90%
Notes: Over 90% relates to ZNBS, the largest mortgage lender. If we include the non-traditional mortgage lenders this figure will decrease significantly
Notes: Pan African Building Society and Zambia National Building Society take deposits
Notes: Property Transfer Tax, (5%); VAT (16%) on new build developments
Notes: Securities and Exchange Commission
Notes: SI (Dec. 2012) under BoZ Act
Notes: Six MFIs are deposit-taking financial institutions
Notes: Subject to 3.3% growth rate based on 2010 Census
Notes: Subject to 3.3% growth rate based on 2010 Census
Notes: The Conveyancing Act 1881, The Law of Property Act 1911, (these are UK acts), and The Lands and Deeds Act, (Zambian)
Notes: The Conveyancing Act 1881, The Law of Property Act 1911, (these are UK acts), and The Lands and Deeds Act, (Zambian)
Notes: There common law rights which will allow courts to determine whether any contractual terms can be considered unfair. These can be addressed through the civil courts
Notes: There is very limited information available about MFIs, however it has been suggested that non-performing loans range between 10%-20% of portfolio, and is one of the factors holding back expansion.
Notes: These are policy guidelines published by BoZ, rather than a legal maximum
Notes: Types of tenure
Notes: Usually private guarantees from family members, or securities against capital of applicant's business
Notes: Variable but often not less than 90 days
Notes: Withholding Tax (WHT) on rental receipts (15%)
Notes: Zambia Low Cost Housing Loan Fund (ZLCHLF) Govt funded
Notes: Zambian Home Loans and Finance Building Society
Notes: ZHPPF - Saliswana Urban Poor Fund, Mitengo / ABESU
Notes: ZHPPF - Saliswana Urban Poor Fund, Mitengo / ABESU
Notes: ZNBS