Software for unit title associations and managing agents in Tanzania

Yes. The Unit Titles Act, 2008 (No. 16 of 2008) establishes an association which “shall be body corporate” and is given a plan number by the Registrar (s. 35). It has perpetual succession and a common seal, and may sue and be sued in its own name (s. 36). The Act applies to Mainland Tanzania (s. 2).

The Act says the Committee “shall, within twenty eight days after its election, appoint a managing agent” for the units, the association’s movable and immovable property and the common property (s. 49(1)). If the agent gives up the appointment, the Committee appoints a new one within twenty days (s. 49(4)). The qualifications of a managing agent are left to regulations made by the Minister (s. 49(2)).

The Committee convenes an annual general meeting of the owners once in each year. The first is called within three months after the Committee’s election, and each later one within fifteen months after the previous one ended (s. 48). At each annual general meeting the association approves, by special resolution, a budget for the administrative fund and each special purpose fund (s. 58(5)).

Each unit pays its proportional share of the total, or a share worked out by a method set in a special resolution (s. 59(2)). The association sends each owner a notice of the contribution, which states, among other things, how the share is worked out, how it may be paid and the due date — for payment in full, no later than twenty-eight days after the notice (s. 59(5) and (6)).

Yes, unless the unit plan has only two or three units and the association resolves not to keep one (s. 60(1)). Each financial year the association pays into it, from the members’ contributions, an amount equal to five per cent of the general funds budget expenditure, and the annual general meeting may vary that percentage by special resolution (s. 61). The fund may only be spent on purposes such as painting and the renewal, replacement or repair of the common property (s. 60(3)).

For each unit, the owner’s full name and address, details of co-owners or a company’s representative, and the name of the occupier, plus the current members (s. 51). The Act says the register may be kept in electronic form in addition to hard copies (s. 51(4)). An owner gives the association written notice of events such as a change of occupancy within fourteen days (s. 52).

Section 1 says the Act comes into operation on a date the Minister appoints by notice published in the Gazette. Before relying on any deadline or percentage on this page, confirm the commencement notice and any regulations made under the Act, including those on managing agents’ qualifications under s. 49(2), with a Tanzanian adviser.

Unitify keeps a balance per unit, sends automatic reminders and sends the charge to the resident app, so the managing agent is not rebuilding the accounts at month end. M-Pesa and Airtel Money are not integrated with Unitify: owners pay as they do today and Unitify records the payment against the right unit.