A Sanitation Series paper focusing on the issue of “tenancy” in poor urban communities; investigating relationships between landlord and tenant in three African countries, and the effects these have on sanitation. While we increasingly understand the circumstances in which partnerships to provide drinking water or solid waste can be successful, much less is known about sanitation. Yet with the re-emergence of sanitation on the international development agenda, calls for such partnerships are numerous and growing. This situation prompted BPD to undertake a review of five case studies in cities in Southern and Eastern Africa. We observed first-hand the consequences of rapid urban settlement in the region. This is escalating demand for affordable housing, with cheap rental accommodation multiplying to meet this demand. However, services lag far behind. Sanitation advances in the 1980s are being reversed as settlement densities rise steadily, and as single unit latrines are shared by more and more families. This paper asks what partnership means for sanitation in this context: Which stakeholders relate to sanitation and do their different concerns overlap? Is there consensus on the best way to move forward? Given the significance of those renting, how can approaches targeting owner-occupiers be adapted to serve tenants better? Should landlords be incentivised – or sanctioned – to do the right thing, and what norms and standards are appropriate when the demand from tenants is for cheap accommodation?

Bibliographic information

Eales, K., Schaub-Jones, D. (2005). Sanitation Partnerships: Landlord or tenant? Building Partnerships for Development (BPD), Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), UK

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Faecal sludge treatment processesUrban informal settlements (slums)English

Related Countries

KenyaLesothoMozambique

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