Several tenants in Kabul city complain about the unchecked increase in house rental prices and a shortage of housing. They state that with each passing month, rent costs continue to rise, placing them under economic pressure. According to these residents, landlords increase rents at their own discretion without considering tenants’ economic circumstances, and there is no oversight body to prevent this trend.
Residents of Kabul tell the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the mass deportation of migrants from neighboring countries has intensified the housing crisis in major cities, particularly Kabul. They emphasize that due to high rents, they have been compelled to move to areas further from the city center or to houses with fewer facilities. Some tenants also confirm that in certain cases, they have been forced to sell essential household items to pay rent.
Finding a rental house in Kabul these days, with migrants returning from neighboring countries and the Taliban demolishing houses for urban expansion, has become as difficult as climbing the surrounding mountains.
Milad Mohammadi, one of the country’s artists, says that after a month of wandering through different areas of Kabul, he finally managed to rent a house. Criticizing the rise in rents, he adds that to cover the rental costs, he was forced to sell his car to secure shelter for his family.
Mohammadi adds, “House rents have increased significantly; a house that was previously rented for 8,000 Afghanis now costs 12,000 Afghanis. This situation has further exacerbated living challenges, and rents have gone beyond our means. Unfortunately, there are no opportunities for artistic work, and covering living expenses has become extremely difficult. The primary reason for this situation is the lack of fairness and understanding among some landlords.”
Noor Bibi, another tenant in Kabul, says the house she rented four years ago for 5,000 Afghanis now costs double that amount, meaning 10,000 Afghanis. She expresses concern that if the landlord increases the rent any further, with the meager income she earns from beadwork on clothing, she will have nowhere to go.
This woman, who only recently managed to find a rental house after weeks of searching, says, “Finding a rental house has become very difficult because prices have skyrocketed. Electricity, food, and everything else have become more expensive, while our income not only has not increased, but is decreasing day by day. May God help us; we have seen no benefit from these Taliban.”
Faridullah, another tenant, says that he lives in a rental house and the landlord has recently increased the rent from 6,000 to 10,000 Afghanis. According to him, the landlord warned that if he is unable to pay the new amount, he must vacate the house. He adds, “Where are people supposed to get this much money to pay for house rent? I hope everything returns to normal.”
Sultan (pseudonym), a former employee of Taliban-controlled institutions, says that he has been unemployed for the past six months and can no longer afford the rising rents. He adds, “House rents have increased by about 3,000 to 4,000 Afghanis, and finding a rental house has become very difficult. With no jobs and rising costs, the economic situation of the people has become extremely dire.”
Sayed Mohib, a tenant, says that due to the staggering rise in house rents, they have been forced to rent a house in areas much further from the city center. He adds, “We rented four rooms in the Arya Township for 24,000 Afghanis, while previously the same number of rooms cost only 17,000 Afghanis during the republic era. This means rents have increased by around 7,000 Afghanis. In this situation, finding a house is very difficult, and another problem is water; in every area, water must be purchased separately.”
Sayed Ali, another tenant, says that the housing crisis in Kabul must be taken seriously. He adds, “By God, it has become very difficult to find a rental house. Rents have doubled or even tripled, especially since the migrants returned. One of our cousins who had just returned to the country searched for nearly two to three months until we finally found one or two rooms in a compound, and even that cost 9,000 Afghanis.”
Saabir, another tenant, says that landlords and real estate offices now rent houses that were previously rented for 6,000 to 7,000 Afghanis at nearly double the price. He adds, “Housing supply is low and demand is very high. Kabul is a city built for three million people, but currently, around eight million people live in it. The number of tenants has increased, and unemployment has also risen. Most people who own houses try to meet their living expenses through rental income. There are few houses and a large population, and with the influx of migrants, rents have sharply increased; even finding a house has become extremely difficult.”
This comes at a time when unemployment, lack of job opportunities, and the spread of poverty and hunger have severely reduced many citizens’ ability to afford rent.
Kabul residents say that rents in areas such as Shahr-e Naw and Wazir Akbar Khan range from 300 to 2,000 US dollars per month. According to them, rents for mid-range houses across Kabul reach up to around 30,000 Afghanis, and in distant areas, this amount ranges between 7,000 to 20,000 Afghanis.
Previously, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) had stated that most returnee migrants to Afghanistan settle in cities, which leads to the growth of urbanization. According to this programme, the settlement of returnees in cities places significant pressure on already weak public services.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
افزایش کرایه خانهها در کابل؛ مهاجران و بیکاری بحران مسکن را تشدید کردهاند
