Residents of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, are expressing deep concern over an unprecedented surge in rental prices, saying that the economic pressure stemming from widespread poverty and rising unemployment has severely diminished people’s ability to secure housing. They report that rental costs for ordinary homes have surpassed 10,000 afghanis per month, while landlords simultaneously demand two months of advance payment and one month’s rent as a security deposit, an amount that most people are simply unable to afford. A review of property listings posted by real estate agents on social media confirms that this trend has spread across all neighborhoods of Mazar-i-Sharif. Residents also note that there is no oversight whatsoever over these unchecked rent increases.
Several residents of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, are voicing serious concern over the rising cost of housing in the city. They say that as poverty and unemployment continue to worsen, the increase in rent has placed even greater burdens on the population.
Ahmad (pseudonym), a resident of Mazar-i-Sharif, says that rental prices in the city have risen to unprecedented levels. According to him, the monthly rent for a two-room courtyard house has climbed from 9,000 to 12,000 afghanis, a sum that most people cannot afford. He adds that two-room apartment units are now renting for between 10,000 and 13,000 afghanis per month. He emphasizes that rents have increased by five to six thousand afghanis compared to last year.
Another resident of Mazar-i-Sharif says that homes renting for between six and seven thousand afghanis are in serious need of repair, and that landlords are passing the cost of maintenance and repainting onto the tenants. According to him, rental prices vary across different neighborhoods, including Karte Bokhdi, Karte Sulh, Dasht-e-Shor, Kocha-e-Hashim Barat, Karte Ariana, and the Chowk-e-Moheb area, but in all of these areas, rents have risen sharply.
This Balkh resident further adds that in addition to the rent hikes, landlords are now also demanding two months of rent upfront, and given the prevailing conditions of poverty and unemployment, many people have found themselves unable to secure rental housing at all. He notes that there is no regulatory oversight in place to control the rise in rental prices.
Residents of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, emphasize that the economic situation facing ordinary people is dire, and that they cannot afford dollar-denominated rents or monthly payments exceeding 10,000 afghanis, especially when many of them earn less than 5,000 afghanis per month. They point out that even a person holding one of the better government positions, earning around 15,000 afghanis per month, cannot simultaneously cover both family living expenses and monthly rent.
Residents of Balkh say that the mass return of migrants from neighboring countries, combined with the Taliban’s restrictions on new construction, has driven up rental prices in Mazar-i-Sharif. They are calling for the situation to be addressed and for landlords and property owners to act fairly.
Another resident of Mazar-i-Sharif says that the majority of construction projects have been halted by the Taliban’s State Land Clearance Commission and remain under review. He stresses that these reviews have been ongoing for more than four years without resolution.
This resident of Mazar-i-Sharif stated: “With the large-scale return of migrants from Iran and Pakistan, a genuine housing shortage has emerged, and finding a home has become nearly impossible. A house that once rented for 2,000 afghanis cannot now be found even for 4,000 afghanis. Similarly, the prices of apartment units and residential blocks have gone up. Around 70 percent of residential townships are not permitted to carry out construction. The Taliban’s State Land Clearance Commission says the area is under review, and this review has been going on for more than four years. Except for those with connections or those who can perhaps pay their way to obtain a permit, the housing shortage is, overall, a severe and serious problem in Mazar-i-Sharif.”
A brief review of social media platforms and real estate agent listings also reveals that advertised rental prices are predominantly above 10,000 afghanis. One such listing offers a three-room apartment unit in Karte Bokhdi, near the former Red Cross office, for a monthly rent of 12,000 afghanis, with two months required as advance payment and one month’s rent as a security deposit.
Another listing advertises a four-room house in the vicinity of the Arya Market area for a monthly rent of 250 US dollars. Several other real estate agents have also published similar listings widely across social media, with the majority of them advertising rental prices above 10,000 afghanis or 200 US dollars per month.
Residents of Balkh are also expressing concern over rising food prices. They say that unemployment and poverty are threatening people’s livelihoods, yet the Taliban pays no attention to job creation and is focused solely on misappropriation and corruption, adding that the lives of those who are not Taliban members are of no consequence to the group.
Residents of Mazar-i-Sharif are raising complaints about rising rental costs at a time when people in Kabul, Kunduz, and Herat have also voiced similar concerns. According to them, the relentless increase in housing costs has deepened the country’s housing crisis, and if the situation continues, it is likely to intensify waves of internal displacement and migration.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
کرایههای سر به فلک کشیده؛ باشندهگان مزارشریف زیر فشار شدید قرار دارند
