[IMPACT]
The DApp rent will sanitise the rent ecosystem and bring trust and transparency in the economics of demand and supply. The target audience include LandLords, Homeowners, real estate agencies, individuals looking for accommodation/apartment/flats/offices for rent. The high network in the real estate sector is a plus to the team to improve the housing sector with Cardano DApp Rent.
<https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/local/watch-out-for-online-scam-as-2-estate-agents-arrested-for-tonaton-fraud/k1wnj27>
This will progressively eliminate rent fraud in the years ahead, create a credible housing sector and enhance accountability.
<https://theghanaweb.com/beware-of-rent-fraud-in-accra-and-some-part-of-the-country>
<https://www.modernghana.com/lifestyle/10370/9-essential-things-to-consider-before-renting-an-apartment.html>
- Registration of Subscribers
- Payment of rent allowance with ADA
- Verification of subscribers
- Proof of identity
- Property listing and location verification
- P2P transaction policy agreement
- Real Estate company listing
**Detailed plan (**Problem and solution)
The goal of the project is focused on using DApp to create an authentic registry for property owners to allow for easy search and renting of houses in Ghana. The purpose of funding is to focus on the first phase of the project for the next 3 months and undertake research for the DApp development and usability in Ghana. The research would increase participation among stakeholders in preparation for the DApp and usage.
Ghana is facing an acute housing challenge with a housing deficit standing at 2.4 million. Each day, an estimated number of over 1400 people are looking for houses to rent in both urban and rural communities. The search for accommodation/apartment and flats come with challenges especially, travelling from city to city, province to province, and from one community to another. The cost in travelling and dangers involved in commuting from one city to another is disheartening and a daunting task. In many cases these desperate individuals looking for rent fall in the hands of fraudsters.
Getting the money for rent is not the problem but finding the right landlords and housing owners is the biggest threat. Many at times, rent allowances and fees are paid to scammers posing as apartment or flat owners. There are also rent agents charging exorbitant fees to view the accommodation/apartment/flats and often terms as Viewing Fees. The agent will further charge a 10% agent fee when one is interested in the house. The agents will first, inflate the rent fees, he takes the additional fees, and secondly ensure he makes another 10% on the actual fees.
Creating a DApp will help eliminate fraudsters, middlemen charging exorbitant fees making rent more expensive in Ghana. House owners and individuals seeking accommodation/apartment/flats through a constructive verification process, would help both parties to freely negotiate terms to build trust and competence. DApp will bring together all home owners and individuals and groups looking for accommodation/apartment/flats/office space to rent. It will be a decentralized one stop shop. DApp will reduce cost, scammers and build trust in the rent and accommodation ecosystem. It will allow homeowners to list their homes on the DApp for visibility.
We are partnered with Calogeron Ghana Limited, a construction and real estate firm and Procurement and Project Management Consultancy (PPMC) <https://ppmcgroup.com/>
The rent and accommodation part of the real estates are not well organized to build trust and build confidence of both homeowners and accommodation seekers. It will take approximately a year for stakeholder to trust and have confidence in Dapp Rent. This comes with consistent education, promulgation of success stories and transparency to convince the population to the Dapp Rent. Ghanaian do not easily embrace reforms but when they build trust for something, they go in all out for it.
[FEASIBILITY]
The Cardano DApp for Rent would focus on establishing a registry for property owners in Ghana in the long term. However, we seek funding for the first 3 months to undertake research to ensuring the development of a DApp that would be accessible and mitigate rent challenges faced by property owners and customers. The DApp is specific to the housing industry in Ghana. The specificity of the DApp would help for easy implementation.
The success of the proposal would aid future funding for development. Our team has a researcher with experience in Plutus development, ATALAPrism and also welcome collaboration for great scalability in Ghana. The focus on research for the DApp would be useful to identify operational challenges and outline measures to overcome these challenges in the development face of the project.
Timeline
1-3 months - Project Phase 1 (The focus of Funding in Fund 8)
User Research
Completely have the Cardano Rent website built and hosted.
Completely have the Cardano Rent mobile App platform development research and launched on TestNet.
Publish usage research guide
4-8 month - Project Phase 2
Development of Dapp
Host educational outreaches and workshops to engage, inform and onboard individual landlords and homeowners in the real estate sector onto our platform (A minimum of 200).
Onboard SME real estate agency
9-12 months - Project Phase 3
Launch of Cardano DApp for Rent on mainnet (If no delay issues arise during testnet launch).
Extend the engagement and accessibility of the platform to about 300 (households and institutions) through educational outreaches and workshops.
Assist LandLords and Homeowners install the app including real estate and construction firms
Onboard more real estate agencies based on demand.
Design Research - $4,300
Mobile development Research- $3,800
Plutus Development Research - $4,320
AtalaPRISM development Research - $3,790
Team Fees - $3,000
Total - $19,210
We are requesting funding for the first phase of the project involving the research phase
Arnold Kwofie
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnold-kwofie-276782105>
Arnold is computer programmer with over 5 experience software programming. He manages the database system of the University of Mines and Technology in Ghana. With his analytical skills and engineering mathematics, he doubles as software engineer at Gracecom AREF Consult. His research areas involve emerging technology and a blockchain enthusiast.
Peter Bismark
<http://linkedin.com/in/peter-bismark-kwofie-93681486>
Peter has 7 years experience as a private sector researcher and public policy subject matter expert. He is also a blockchain enthusiast and was the first Ghanaian to host a blockchain radio show in Africa. <https://www.mixcloud.com/LChrisBates/bitland-interview-with-harbour-city-radio/> and <https://cryptortrust.com/news/category/interviews/>
He is a consultant on business development and real estate. Peter has consistently proven to have authority in free market economics and using blockchain for decentralisation. Due to his huge networks, he is able to put together a mammoth gathering to create awareness on current trends on technology and poverty friendly policies of the state. Peter is known in the policy space and very technical in thinking for business success.
Abdul Rahman Sarpong Dugbatey
Abdul is a system information analyst and software engineer with 4 years experience in IT research. He interest falls on digital banking fraud and plutus research.
<http://linkedin.com/in/abdul-rahman-sarpong-dugbatey-48604618>
<https://github.com/rasarpmultimedia>
[AUDITABILITY]
Auditability
The Cardano DApp for Rent would make recordings of activities for auditabilities. The DApp developers would use github to enable openness and transparency in development. Catalyst members would be given progress reports on the discord channel. The DApp Research guide would help include localization in Dapp design and development and ensure participation by stakeholders. This would help in easy tracking of activities of the project.
Smart contract
The smart contract would function in four ways to make accommodation vacancy available and accessible as well as eliminating fraudulent transactions. This includes, (1) proof of vacancy, (2) transaction cost, (3) confirmation of payment and (4) release of payment.
Why Cardano DApp for Rent
The DApp would use AtalaPRISM to register legitimate landlords, real estate agencies, and apartment owners who are renting or selling flat/ apartment/ accommodation. The registry will provide unique identification for those that would be verifiable at the Lands Commission of Ghana. The Cardano DApp for Rent is important because it would provide a unique registry for home owners and landlords as well as allow for a transparent and open market devoid of fraud.
This is a new project and has never been submitted