Housing in Durban is run by the eThekwini Municipality Human Settlements Unit, not by a body called the Department of Housing Durban. Its head office is at Shell House, 221 Anton Lembede Street, Durban CBD, on 031 311 3102. Provincial matters, including FLISP gap-housing subsidies, are handled separately by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements. The routes below were verified on the official eThekwini municipal website on 18 August 2026.
Official contact routes
Every number below is published by eThekwini Municipality on durban.gov.za. Housing enquiries are split by function and by region, so calling the right desk matters more here than at most municipal units.
| Office | Address | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Human Settlements head office | Shell House, 221 Anton Lembede Street, Durban CBD | 031 311 3102 |
| Projects (North) | 17 Doveside Place, Canehaven Drive, Phoenix | 031 311 2469 |
| Projects (West) | 90 Qashana Khuzwayo Road, New Germany | 031 311 6518 |
| Projects (South) | Shell House, 221 Anton Lembede Street | 031 311 3283 |
| Rental | Shell House, 221 Anton Lembede Street | 031 311 3419 |
| Rental (South) | 14 Main Street, Unit 6, Chatsworth | 031 311 5006 |
| Rental (North) | 145 Longcroft Drive, Starcroft, Phoenix | 031 311 6023 |
| Social Housing | Shell House, 221 Anton Lembede Street | 031 311 3229 |
| Conveyancing and Sales Admin | Shell House, 221 Anton Lembede Street | 031 311 3477 / 031 311 3474 |
| Land Assembly | Shell House, 221 Anton Lembede Street | 031 311 3487 |
| Housing Support (training, outreach, land monitoring) | Shell House, 221 Anton Lembede Street | 031 311 3240 |
| Municipal switchboard | City Hall, 263 Dr Pixley Ka Seme Street, Durban 4000 | 031 311 1111 |
The municipal contact desk is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, and its published email address is [email protected]. General municipal enquiries also reach [email protected].
Best contact route by issue
- Council rental unit, or buying the flat you rent: contact the rental office for your area. eThekwini lets roughly 6,000 units across areas including Chatsworth, Isipingo, Wentworth, Merebank, Lamontville, Sydenham, Phoenix, Verulam, Tongaat and Umbilo.
- Community Residential Unit tenants: each precinct has its own line, including Thokoza on 031 309 1569, KwaMashu on 031 503 1623, Jacobs on 031 468 9411, SJ Smith on 031 462 3125, Dalton on 031 301 7366 or 031 305 5268, and Glebelands on 031 912 1377.
- FLISP or gap housing: applications go to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements on 031 336 5396, 031 336 5262, 031 336 5277, 031 336 5285 or 031 336 5418, at the 11th floor, Eagle Building, 353 to 356 Dr Pixley KaSeme Street, Durban.
- Title deeds and transfer: Conveyancing and Sales Admin on 031 311 3477 or 031 311 3474.
- Informal settlement upgrading: the Human Settlements planning branch through the head office number.
- Anything else municipal: the switchboard on 031 311 1111 or [email protected].
Customer care and self-service options
Before contacting anyone, check which housing programme you actually qualify for, because the qualifying criteria decide which office handles you. Ownership subsidies require that you are 18 or older and competent to contract, are married, co-habiting or have dependants, have never received a state housing subsidy, have never owned property by title deed, and are a South African citizen or permanent resident.
Breaking New Ground fully subsidised houses are for households earning under R3,500 per month, allocated to people from informal settlements, overcrowded backyards and special cases including people with disabilities, child-headed households and military veterans. Community Residential Units serve households between R800 and R3,500 per month. Social housing, which is subsidised rental rather than free or rent-to-own, targets households between R1,500 and R20,000. FLISP assists households above R3,500 but below R20,000 with a once-off down payment toward a bond. Knowing your band before you call saves a wasted trip to the wrong office.
Complaints and escalation
- Start with the office that handles your matter from the table above, and ask for a reference number on the first call.
- Escalate within the municipality through Sizakala Customer Services on 031 311 1111 or [email protected], quoting that reference and the date of your first contact.
- Report corruption or fraud to the City Integrity and Investigations Unit on 0800 202020.
- Take provincial matters to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements on the Eagle Building numbers above, since subsidy approval sits with the province rather than the city.
If the municipality and the province have both been given a fair opportunity and the matter is still unresolved, a complaint about maladministration in a public body can be taken to the Public Protector. Eligibility depends on the nature of the complaint, so confirm jurisdiction before lodging. No office can guarantee a house, a place on a list, or a particular outcome.
What to prepare
- Your South African ID or permanent residence certificate, since citizenship or residence is a qualifying condition for ownership subsidies.
- Proof of household income, because every programme is banded by income and the band determines the office.
- Your current address and the suburb of the unit, which decides whether North, South or West handles you.
- Any existing application or reference number, plus the date you applied.
- Marriage certificate or proof of dependants where the subsidy criteria require it.
Take original documents to a municipal office in person rather than emailing copies of your ID to an address you have not verified, and never post identity documents in a community group.
Scam and verification checks
eThekwini Municipality states plainly that it does not sell RDP houses, and that if someone asks you for money to secure allocation of a fully subsidised house, it is a scam. The municipality asks that you report that person to the City Integrity and Investigations Unit on 0800 202020.
- No payment buys a place on a housing list. Treat any request for a fee, a deposit or a “facilitation” payment as fraudulent.
- Check the domain. Official municipal pages sit on durban.gov.za. Type it yourself rather than following a link from a message.
- Verify anyone who arrives in person. Ask for identification and confirm it by phoning the relevant office on a number from this page or the official site.
- Never disclose your banking PIN, one-time passwords or card details. No housing office needs them.
- Preserve evidence. Keep receipts, names, dates and messages. If you have already paid, notify your bank and report the matter to the South African Police Service as well as the integrity unit.
Related contact pages
- Department of Home Affairs Contact Details: for the ID document or permanent residence certificate a housing application requires.
- Cresta Home Affairs Contact Details: a branch-level route if you are replacing identity documents before applying.
- How to Change SRD Phone Number Contact Details: useful if the number on your grant record no longer reaches you.
- Canada Embassy Contact Details: a sibling government page for readers whose next step is a consular rather than a housing route.
Frequently asked questions
What is the safest official contact route?
For housing specifically, the Human Settlements head office on 031 311 3102 at Shell House, 221 Anton Lembede Street. For anything broader, the municipal contact desk on 031 311 1111 or [email protected], open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm. Both are published on durban.gov.za.
What information should I prepare?
Your ID or permanent residence certificate, proof of household income, your address and the suburb concerned, and any existing application reference and date. For ownership subsidies, also bring proof that you are married, co-habiting or have dependants, since that is a stated qualifying criterion.
What should I do if I cannot get help?
Escalate through Sizakala Customer Services on 031 311 1111 or [email protected] with your reference number and a dated record of who you spoke to. For provincial subsidy decisions, approach the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements at the Eagle Building. For suspected corruption, use the integrity unit on 0800 202020.
How can I confirm that these contact details are current?
Open durban.gov.za directly and find the Human Settlements page under Residents, where the office directory is published. Municipal extensions change when units move, so confirm on the official domain before travelling to an office or acting on anything involving money or documents.
Last verified 18 August 2026 against the eThekwini Municipality Human Settlements page on durban.gov.za.