Answer to a question from a reader

Must recipients of RDP houses finish the inside themselves?

The short answer

Yes, RDP houses are starter houses where only essentials are provided

The whole question

I know somebody that has recently received an RDP house. I was very confused after she started explaining to me that she needs to still paint and tile the inside.

Is it normal for a recipient of an RDP house to have to complete the basic inside finishes? Inside walls are not painted, just bare concrete walls and floors. The walls have not even been primed. No tiles or cupboards. The only items inside the house are a toilet, bath and wash-up sink.

Hope you can shed some light on this for me ?

The long answer

Thank you for your email asking if the beneficiary of an RDP house is required to complete the basic inside finishes like painting the walls.

Yes, this seems to be the case. RDP houses are regarded as basic starter houses where only the bare essentials are supplied.

From a 2011/12 Social Housing Foundation document comparing the cost of RDP houses and social housing (rented), it appears that RDP houses have

A certified coating system for external walls
Internal walls are cement slurry-brushed, not painted
Two bedrooms
A separate bathroom with shower, toilet and hand basin
A kitchen basin in combined lounge/kitchen area
No floor coverings like tiles or carpets are supplied
No curtain rails, towel racks, or cupboards are supplied
No ceilings, gutters or downpipes are supplied
No boundary fences are supplied

A student thesis from 2009 notes that some provinces supply plastered and painted internal and external walls, while others do not, and that there are no standards for this.

Answered on May 27, 2019, 12:32 p.m.

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