I applied for an RDP house in 2015, but was told the list got lost. Is this possible?

The long answer

Thank you for your email asking a) if it’s possible that your 2015 application for an RDP house simply got lost, and b) if you can buy an RDP house legally since you no longer qualify for an RDP house in terms of your income.

To start with your first question: No, it should not be possible that the housing office can simply lose your application. When you apply, you are given proof of your registration, which shows the date on which you applied and the application number. You can also double-check that your name is on the provincial waiting list online at www.ndd.co.za where you can enter your ID number. 

The problem is that for whatever reason you did not get an RDP house at the time you qualified for it, you would not be able to get one now because your income is higher than R3 500 a month.

In terms of your second question: an RDP house owner may only sell their house after occupying it for eight years, and the owner has to offer the provincial Housing Department (Human Settlements) the first option of buying it.

The owner needs to have written permission from the Housing Department to sell the house, and a letter of authority from the Deeds Office must be attached to the sale agreement. You only become the legal owner of a house when the title deeds are transferred into your name

If you have queries about whether a particular RDP house can be legally sold, you can contact the Housing enquiries of the Department of Human Settlements on their toll-free Customer Service Hotline at 0800 146 873 / 012 421 1915