Harare property owners have been put on notice: the city wants its buildings cleaned, repaired and properly maintained, and the directive applies to every development inside the capital’s boundaries.
In a public notice issued on 19 September 2026, acting town clerk Warren Chiwawa said the requirement covered all buildings and developments within Harare, placing responsibility for upkeep squarely on owners rather than on the local authority.
A citywide maintenance order
The instruction is the latest attempt by the municipality to confront the visible decay of parts of the capital, where peeling paint, boarded-up windows, overgrown stands and crumbling perimeter walls have become familiar sights in both the central business district and older residential suburbs.
For a city that markets itself as the country’s commercial hub, the state of its building stock is not a cosmetic matter. Rundown premises depress neighbouring property values, discourage tenants and investors, and add to the strain on already stretched municipal services.
What the notice means for owners
The obligation is broad, covering commercial blocks, industrial sites, residential properties and mixed-use developments. In practice, owners are being asked to:
- Repair and repaint exteriors that have deteriorated;
- Keep yards, pavements and open spaces around buildings cleared of waste and vegetation;
- Fix broken windows, doors, roofing and perimeter walls;
- Maintain drainage and water infrastructure so that premises do not become a nuisance to neighbours.
Landlords who have deferred maintenance for years now face pressure to act, at a time when many are already battling rising input costs, weak rental demand in some suburbs and the cost of compliance with other council requirements.
Eviction dispute sharpens the housing debate
The maintenance push comes as City of Harare leaders grapple with uncomfortable questions about housing delivery. Ward 16 Harare West councillor Denford Ngadziore has called for an investigation into the Ashdown Park Extension eviction dispute, describing it as most unfortunate and pointing out that desperate home seekers are the ones carrying the greatest burden.
The councillor’s intervention reflects a wider tension in the capital: demand for residential stands and affordable housing far outstrips supply, leaving families exposed to irregular allocations, disputes over ownership and forced removals.
Housing analysts argue that orderly development and enforcement only work when residents have a realistic path to legal, serviced stands. Where that path is blocked, informal settlements expand and disputes multiply, often landing in the courts or in council chambers.
Why upkeep is being linked to service delivery
City officials have repeatedly linked the condition of buildings to residents’ broader experience of service delivery. Clean, well-kept premises make it easier to collect rates, attract ratepayers who can afford to stay, and reduce health risks in dense suburbs where refuse and stagnant water accumulate quickly.
For owners, the message is straightforward: neglect is no longer being treated as a private matter. For tenants and residents, the test will be whether enforcement is applied consistently across the capital – from the CBD and Avenues to the industrial sites of Workington and the fast-expanding peri-urban fringe – rather than only in areas where ratepayers are most visible.
With the 2026/27 rainy season approaching, the city’s ability to translate the notice into actual repairs on the ground will be watched closely by property owners, tenants and residents’ associations alike.