REFORMING EGYPT’S OLD RENT LAW
A PATH TO HOUSING FAIRNESS AND MARKET REVITALISATION
Walaa Bakry, University of Westminster, London, UK
DOI: http://Doi.org/10.64241/imepp.v1i1.001
ISSN: 3068-2851
Abstract
Keywords: Rent control reform, Housing policy, Market liberalisation, Digital property registration, Egypt.
This policy paper presents a reform strategy for Egypt’s outdated Old Rent Law, which governs over 1.6 million residential units across Egypt.
It proposes a phased transition to market-based rents while protecting vulnerable tenants through a subsidy framework.
Drawing on international examples, fiscal modelling, and constitutional imperatives, the paper outlines four strategic pillars for reform: the right to housing, market liberalisation, public subsidy mechanisms, and institutional modernisation.
Scenario modelling confirms that reform is fiscally feasible and socially sustainable.
Executive Summary
Egypt’s Old Rent Law, covering over 1.6 million residential units across Egypt and affecting nearly 6 million people, has long created a structural imbalance in the housing market. Fixed, indefinite leases have deprived landlords of fair economic returns. This left many tenants in deteriorating properties with little incentive for maintenance or investment from landlords. The result is a stagnant rental sector, a vast stock of vacant units, and deep social tensions.
This policy paper proposes a phased, equitable reform framework that protects vulnerable tenants while restoring market functionality and transparency. The proposed reforms are grounded in Egypt’s constitutional commitment to the right to housing and draw on international best practices from countries such as Ireland, Canada, Germany and Saudi Arabia. Cases from these countries were selected because they either address similar issues currently being faced by the housing sector in Egypt or offer practical solutions to these issues.
