One of the variou~ strategies adopted to alleviate thernproblem of housing shortage prevailing in the urban centre~rnof Ethiopia has been the construction of rental house~ by therngovernment. De~pite such an attempt, little effort has beenrnexpended in assessing the marketing situation or to whom therndwellings are provided for, the movement pattern ofrnhouseholds and their attitudes towards the available housingrncondition~. This paper examines the socio-economic andrndemogr aphi c composi-t-i ons-o'f-th~e occapant-s-o'f- govern-me