Roughly half of the flats allocated under Hulhumalé's social housing scheme are not paying rent regularly, according to Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Managing Director Ali Zuhair.
Zuhair made the remarks on the Ahaashey Bunaanan programme. He said HDC now oversees more than 12,000 housing units in Hulhumalé but receives rent regularly from only about half. Some tenants have not paid since receiving their flats, while others skip payments from time to time. He did not disclose the rent amounts or the number of households involved.
Earlier figures
HDC figures released in May 2025 showed it was then managing 8,511 units, of which 3,219 were regular payers and 5,099 were irregular payers. HDC data have put overdue rent at more than MVR 700 million, including MVR 728 million as of 28 February 2023.
What HDC is doing
HDC has begun sending "payment advice" notices every three months to remind non-paying tenants to settle their rent. Zuhair said a special inspection has also been carried out into flats being illegally rented to third parties. All Hiyaa flats have been inspected, and letters are being sent instructing owners to remove foreigners living in the units illegally.
Under the flat agreements, HDC has the authority to confiscate units if rent is not paid consistently. Many households continued to pay on time, but a significant number struggled after the pandemic-driven downturn. The government of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih introduced temporary relief, and the current government has since reduced rents for social housing units in Hulhumalé.
The largest scheme is the second phase of the Hiyaa project, developed in Hulhumalé during former President Abdulla Yameen's term.
Sources: Sun – Half of Hulhumale' social housing tenants are not paying rent: HDC MD Zuhair; One Online – Over half of Hulhumalé social housing flats fail to pay rent regularly, says HDC head
