Residents of Kabul and Herat have expressed concerns over rising house rents, attributing the increase to the forced deportation of migrants from Iran. They say that, alongside other challenges, this has exacerbated homelessness in Afghanistan, with landlords exploiting the crisis by raising rental prices. According to them, the surge in rents comes at a time when returnees and residents are grappling with despair, unemployment, and severe poverty.
Residents of Kabul and Herat report that the housing market in Afghanistan has become volatile following the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. They emphasize that the Taliban have taken no effective measures to address the issue. The influx of returnees to these two cities has significantly driven up rental costs, they note.
Shahrzad, a resident of Kabul, voiced her concerns, stating that she has been searching for a rental home for nearly two weeks without success. She explained, “Our lease ended last month. Previously, I paid 7,000 Afghanis monthly, but now, for almost two months, I haven’t been able to find a suitable home because rents have skyrocketed. A house that used to cost 7,000 Afghanis is now priced at 12,000 or even 15,000 Afghanis.”
Abdul Matin, a resident of Herat, shared, “I was living in a two-room house, paying 3,000 Afghanis monthly. But after the recent tensions, the landlord raised the rent to 6,000 Afghanis. These insecurities have not only affected migrants but have also made life harder and more expensive for everyone in Herat. Everything has gone up, from food prices to the cost of fuel and gas.”
Arzo, a resident of Guzara District in Herat Province, noted that the large wave of returning migrants following the tensions has led to a significant price surge. She added, “This inflation has not only caused problems for migrants but has affected everyone in Herat, as unemployment is widespread, and there are no job opportunities.”
She further stated, “The situation is particularly dire for the poor migrants who have recently returned. They have nothing to eat and nowhere to stay. The conditions are truly unbearable.”
Payman, a migrant who recently arrived in Kabul due to the unrest, said he has been searching for a rental home for four to five days but has been unable to find one due to the price hikes. He explained, “We’ve been looking for a house for four or five days and are currently staying with relatives. A three- or four-room apartment that used to cost 12,000 Afghanis is now priced at 15,000, 16,000, or even 17,000 Afghanis. Two-room apartments, previously around 8,000 Afghanis, are now between 12,000 and 14,000 Afghanis, often with stringent conditions like two months’ advance payment.”
Meanwhile, some real estate agents in Kabul attribute the changes in the housing market to the return of migrants and increased demand. They note that most of their clients are returnees from Iran and Pakistan.
Qadeer (pseudonym), a real estate agent in Qala-e-Fathullah, Kabul, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the majority of their clients are migrants who returned from Iran due to regional tensions. He added that regional insecurities have impacted Afghanistan’s housing market alongside other sectors.
Qadeer further noted, “The rent for three- or four-room apartments in Kabul used to range from 6,000 to 10,000 Afghanis, but now it has risen to 15,000 to 20,000 Afghanis, particularly in areas like Qala-e-Fathullah and Taimani. In areas such as Khairkhana, Sheikh Zahed Town, Mimar Shahr, and Khwaja Rawash, houses that previously cost 3,000 to 4,000 Afghanis are now priced at 7,000 to 10,000 Afghanis.”
Afzal, another real estate agent in Kabul, said that rents have increased across all parts of the city, with costs significantly higher in central and densely populated areas compared to more remote locations. He added, “Previously, two-room houses were rented for 6,000 to 7,000 Afghanis, but now they cost 10,000 to 11,000 Afghanis. Three-room houses, which used to be 10,000 Afghanis, are now priced at 14,000 to 15,000 Afghanis.”
Following the 12-day conflict with Israel, Iran has forcibly deported thousands of Afghanistan citizens who had migrated to the country. These returnees now face despair, unemployment, homelessness, and fears of reprisals.
According to a report by the International Organization for Migration, between June 1 and June 28, 2025, over 230,000 migrants returned from Iran to Afghanistan, most of whom were forcibly deported.
Amid the intensified deportation of Afghanistan citizens from Iran, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has called for increased global support. The organization reported that since January, more than 800,000 migrants have returned to Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border crossing.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
بحران مسکن در کابل و هرات؛ درماندهگی خانوادهها در برابر افزایش سرسامآور کرایهها
