|
Expression of Interest for Diagnostic Study on Rent-to-Own in Côte dIvoire: Legal Framework and Market Readiness Assessment. Publication Date: 02/10/2026 12:00 AM EST EOI Deadline: 02/16/2026 11:59 PM EST Description: Côte dIvoire faces a growing deficit of affordable housing, driven by rapid urbanization, a limited supply of serviced land, and the high cost of construction and infrastructure. At the same time, access to long-term mortgage finance remains extremely low. These constraints make homeownership difficultif not impossiblefor the majority of low- and middle-income households in urban areas, particularly in Abidjan and fast-growing secondary cities. In response, the Government of Côte dIvoire has expressed renewed interest in diversifying housing occupancy models beyond the traditional divide between renting and immediate purchase. Rent-to-Own (RtO) has emerged as a promising option to help bridge this gap. RtO combines an initial rental phase with a clear and structured pathway to eventual homeownership. It can be particularly relevant for households that are not yet eligible for mortgage credit but can commit to regular payments and aspire to own a home over the long term. However, despite initial discussions and project announcements, Côte dIvoire currently lacksbased on available informationa clear and dedicated legal, regulatory, or operational framework governing RtO. Existing instruments, such as the Construction and Housing Code, civil law on leases and sales, land-registration rules, consumer-protection legislation, and the VEFA regime, only partially address the specific issues raised by RtO contracts. As a result, key elements of the model remain ambiguous or unregulated, including the allocation of rights and obligations during the rental phase, the protection of household contributions, the enforceability of the purchase option, the role of notaries, and secure mechanisms for transferring ownership. At the same time, the markets readiness to implement RtO schemes remains largely unexplored. It is unclear whether developers have the financial and operational capacity required; whether targeted households can afford the payment structures associated with RtO; and whether the institutional ecosystem (banks, notaries, land-registry services, supervisory bodies) is equipped to support such a model. Without a clear understanding of legal feasibility and market readiness, designing or launching a large-scale RtO program would be premature. To address these gaps, the World Bank Groupseeks to undertake a diagnostic study combining a legal and regulatory analysis with an assessment of market readiness. This diagnostic will provide the essential foundations for developing a credible and sustainable RtO market and will help create an enabling environment for future capital-market-based housing finance solutions, including real estate collective investment schemes (OPCI/REITs) and securitization vehicles. The overall objective of this assignment is to produce, within eight (8) weeks, a diagnostic that will provide the legal clarity, market insights, and analytical basis needed to effectively determine the feasibility, design, and potential modalities for establishing a large-scale Rent-to-Own model. Tender Link : https://wbgeprocure-rfxnow.worldbank.org/rfxnow/public/advertisement/6558/view.html
|
