ABSTRACT
This chapter examines developments in the small-scale rented sector, with special reference to site and service housing areas in Lilongwe, the new capital of Malawi. It presents a case study in the interaction through a particular time and space of factors governing the housing market and, more specifically, tenure profiles. The chapter also presents a brief history of low-income housing in Malawi, with emphasis on the development of site and service housing, which now provides accommodation for the majority of the urban population. It discusses the history of small-scale renting and the characteristics of owner–occupiers, tenants and landlords. The chapter provides a case study of the development of site and service housing in Lilongwe in the 1970s, when a hiatus in the development of site and service areas affected the market for rented housing by both restricting supply and increasing demand.
