Landlord and Tenant Act 2022: Landlord Duties
Updated 3 November 2026 · Land & Property editorial team
As of November 2026, the Landlord and Tenant Act, 2022 requires a Ugandan landlord to give a written receipt for rent, keep the structure and common areas in good repair, respect 10% and 60-day limits on rent increases, end tenancies only by lawful notice, and never evict by force. Unlawful eviction can cost three months' rent plus damages (section 45), and unlawful entry is an offence (section 48).
- Receipts
- Written, immediately if paid in person (section 25)
- Repairs
- Landlord keeps structure, exterior and common areas in good repair (sections 6 and 7)
- Rent increase
- 10% a year, 60 days' notice, 12 months apart (section 26)
- Unlawful entry fine
- Up to 100 currency points, UGX 2,000,000 (section 48)
- Unlawful eviction
- Court relief or three months' rent, plus damages (section 45)
What must a landlord provide under the 2022 Act?
The Landlord and Tenant Act, 2022 (Act 9 of 2022) puts a short list of duties on anyone who lets residential or business premises in Uganda. The text is on ULII (PDF). The main ones are:
- Check identity before letting. A landlord shall not sign with an individual who does not show a national ID, alien's ID or other identification document, or with a company that gives no registration details (section 3(5)).
- Give the tenant a copy of the signed agreement immediately (section 5). If there is no written agreement, keep a record of the parties, premises and rent and give a copy within 14 days (section 3(3) and (4)).
- Hand over premises fit for human habitation, and keep the exterior and common areas fit (section 6).
- Keep the premises in good repair (section 7).
- Pay taxes and rates on the property (section 10).
- Give quiet enjoyment (section 19), and never refuse a tenant on grounds such as sex, race, tribe, religion or disability (section 20).
Tenants should read the mirror page, landlord and tenant act 2022. This is general information as of November 2026, not legal advice.
What receipts must a landlord issue?
Section 21(2) says the landlord shall issue a receipt upon payment of rent. Section 25 adds detail: a written receipt immediately when the payment is made in person, or within five working days when it is paid another way and the tenant asks. It must show, among other things, the amount and the period paid, and the landlord must keep a record of all receipts. The same applies to the security deposit, for which section 30(5) requires a written receipt.
A landlord letting business premises in a city or municipality must also give the tenant a bank account number into which all rent can be paid (section 21(4)). Rent is expressed and settled in Uganda shillings unless the parties agree otherwise (section 22). Landlords who want a clean paper trail can read Landlord and Tenant Act 2022: Plain-English Guide.
Who pays for repairs and utilities?
The landlord keeps the premises in good repair, including the exterior and common areas, judged by the age, character and life of the building and its location (section 7). That duty does not cover damage caused by the tenant's negligence. For that, the landlord serves a repair notice, and if the tenant has not repaired within 14 days the landlord may repair at the tenant's cost and recover it, including from rent advance held (section 8). Tenants may do urgent repairs themselves, or repairs the landlord ignores after 14 days' notice, and recover the reasonable cost within 14 days, or from the next rent (section 9). Details are in Who Pays for Repairs in a Rental in Uganda?.
| Item | Who pays (sections 12 and 13) |
|---|---|
| Initial connection of electricity, water, gas or sewerage | Landlord |
| Separately metered electricity and water used | Tenant |
| Unmetered electricity, gas, oil and water | Landlord |
| Sewerage and drainage charges | Landlord (the parties may agree a tenant contribution) |
Extra services such as security and conservancy may be billed as a service fee (section 46). Apartment owners should also see Owning a Condo Unit, and Service Fees Under the 2022 Act explains the fee rules.
What limits apply to rent increases?
Under section 26, unless the tenancy agreement says otherwise, rent may not rise by more than 10% a year. The landlord must give at least 60 days' notice in the prescribed form, may not increase rent within a fixed term unless the agreement allows it, and may not increase it at intervals of less than 12 months. An increase that breaks these rules is invalid. If the tenant neither objects nor negotiates, and the increase follows the Act, it is taken as accepted (section 27). If you stop providing an agreed service, rent must fall in proportion (section 28). The full rules, and why some summaries say 90 days, are on How Much Can a Landlord Increase Rent in Uganda?.
Deposit rules are tight as well: one deposit, not above one month's rent, written terms for deductions and no deduction for normal wear and tear (section 30).
How can a landlord lawfully end a tenancy?
A tenancy may be ended only in line with the Act or the agreement (section 34). The routes are agreement, the tenant vacating with consent, expiry of a fixed term, or notice (sections 35 to 38). Minimum residential notice is 7 days for weekly, 30 days for monthly and 60 days for year-to-year tenancies (section 38(2)); shorter periods in a contract are void. If a tenant stays after a valid notice, the Act lets the landlord re-enter and take possession in the presence of area local council officials and the police (section 43), not by force or a lock-out alone. Either side may challenge a termination in court (section 41). The full sequence is on How to Evict a Tenant Legally in Uganda, and arrears are covered on tenant not paying rent.
Where a tenant has not paid for more than 30 days, section 29(2) lets the landlord re-enter and take possession, again with a local council official and the police present. On 1 October 2026 the Daily Monitor quoted a real estate lawyer saying landlords should not use force, intimidation or other self-help measures (Daily Monitor).
What penalties can a landlord face?
- Unlawful eviction. A tenant may seek relief from a court or the equivalent of three months' rent, and the court must order compensation for damages in addition to any penalty (section 45).
- Entering without notice. A landlord must give written notice before entering (the Act prints the period in section 48(1) as twenty hours, while section 6(4) and the model agreement say 24 hours, so give 24). Entry in breach is an offence with a fine of up to 100 currency points (section 48(2)). A currency point is UGX 20,000 (Schedule 1), so the maximum is UGX 2,000,000. Emergencies are an exception.
- Invalid increases. A rent increase that breaks section 26 is invalid.
- Void terms. Any term that tries to cut the Act's protections is void (section 11), and so is a term making a party pay the other side's costs of preparing the agreement.
Section 51 allows regulations with further penalties. A February 2026 meeting chaired by the Prime Minister resolved that those regulations be drafted (Office of the Prime Minister), so confirm with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development whether any are in force; the penalties above come from the Act itself. If you let property, list your rental with us, or see homes to rent now to compare how other landlords set their terms.
Frequently asked questions
What must a landlord provide?
A landlord must identify the tenant, give a copy of the signed agreement, hand over premises fit to live in, keep the structure, exterior and common areas in good repair, issue written receipts for rent and deposit, pay taxes and rates, and respect the tenant's quiet enjoyment under the Landlord and Tenant Act, 2022.
Can I lock out a tenant who does not pay?
No. Section 45 forbids evicting or compelling a tenant to leave except under the Act. For arrears, a landlord may apply to court (section 29(1)) and, after more than 30 days of default, re-enter in the presence of an area local council official and the police (section 29(2)). Self-help lock-outs risk three months' rent plus damages.
How much notice must a landlord give to end a monthly tenancy?
At least 30 days for a monthly residential tenancy under section 38(2) of the Landlord and Tenant Act, 2022. Weekly tenancies need 7 days and year-to-year tenancies 60 days. A contract term giving less notice is void, though parties may agree to longer periods.
Can a landlord enter the house whenever they like?
No. Except in an emergency, a landlord needs to give advance written notice before entering, and section 6(4) refers to 24 hours at reasonable times. Entering in breach of section 48 is an offence with a fine of up to 100 currency points, which is UGX 2,000,000.
Does a landlord have to use the form in the Act?
A written tenancy must follow the form in Schedule 2, though parties may make modifications (section 3(2)). Receipts and rent increase notices must be in the prescribed form. A February 2026 meeting chaired by the Prime Minister resolved that regulations under section 51 be drafted, so check with the Ministry whether the forms have been issued, and meanwhile keep clear written records with the details the Act requires.
Sources
- Landlord and Tenant Act, 2022 (Act 9 of 2022), full text (PDF), ULII / Uganda Legal Information Institute (accessed 2026-11)
- Landlord and Tenant Act, 2022, consolidated text as at 31 Dec 2023, ULII (accessed 2026-11)
- Tougher guidelines for landlord tenant law (1 Oct 2026), Daily Monitor (accessed 2026-11)
- An Insight into Key Provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act, 2022 (29 Jun 2022), Afriwise (accessed 2026-11)
- Kampala landlords, tenants meet Prime Minister over hiked rental charges (12 Feb 2026), Office of the Prime Minister (accessed 2026-11)