Govt bans subletting of official houses, flats

The government has ordered officials and employees to remove tenants from government houses and flats sublet in violation of allotment rules by October 31, warning of cancellation of allotments and legal action against those who fail to comply.

The Directorate of Government Accommodation has made it clear that allottees cannot rent out or sublet any part or the entirety of houses or flats allotted to them.

In an urgent public notice issued on October 29, the directorate directed those who had already rented out one or more rooms or entire houses or flats to ensure that tenants or sublessees vacated the properties by October 31.

The notice, signed by Directorate Director Md Jahirul Islam Khan, warned that allotments would be cancelled if any tenant or sublessee was found staying in the property after the deadline.

Punitive and legal action would also be taken under the relevant rules without issuing any further show-cause notice, it said.

The allottee’s head of office and appointing authority would also be informed and requested to take departmental disciplinary action under Rule 14(3) of the Bangladesh Allotment Rules, 1982.

According to the notice, a recent inspection by the directorate found that some allottees had rented out one or two rooms or entire houses and flats allotted in their names.

The directorate said such practices violated the Bangladesh Allotment Rules, 1982, and instructed allottees to reside in the properties allocated to them rather than allowing others to occupy them.

The notice added that directorate officials had recently visited different government houses and flats and identified cases of unauthorised subletting. The latest directive was issued based on the inspection team’s findings.

Government houses and flats are allotted to officers and employees for their own accommodation under established rules. However, some allottees reportedly seek financial benefits by renting out part or all of their allotted properties.