Malawi: Lilongwe Homeowners Face Fines and Prison As City-Wide Property Audit Begins

What the report says

Malawi’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has begun a city-wide property assessment in Lilongwe, following an orientation meeting for government valuers on Sunday, according to AllAfrica’s report of a Nyasa Times story. The Quinquennial Valuation Roll exercise is scheduled to run from August 2026 through March 2027 and is intended to update the property database used to calculate city rates under the Local Government Act of 1998.

Acting Commissioner of Valuation Cynthia Chisanu said the first 30 days will be used as a pilot before the work expands across the rest of the capital. The exercise will involve valuation teams visiting properties and collecting information from residents, landlords and developers. Officials emphasized that accurate data is central to the process and that coordination among teams will be important.

Lilongwe City Council has warned that anyone who obstructs valuers, refuses to provide information, or gives false details could face penalties. The report says those offences may lead to fines and, in serious cases, court action. The effort is meant to improve how property records are managed and to support future rate assessments for the city, which has continued to grow and place pressure on local revenue and planning systems.