Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli has extended the mandate of Egypt’s national rent-survey committees by three months, from 5 November until early February 2026, beyond their original 4 December deadline.
The committees, which classify rental housing zones nationwide, play a central role in implementing the new law regulating the relationship between landlords and tenants, described as one of Egypt’s most sweeping housing reforms in decades.
Approved by parliament on 2 July and ratified by the president on 4 August, the law dismantles the country’s decades-old “old rent” system, which froze rents and prevented landlords from reclaiming properties, a policy long seen as both a social safeguard and a market distortion.
Under the new framework, old rental contracts will be phased out after seven years for residential units and five years for non-residential ones. Rents will sharply increase based on area classifications developed by the survey committees.
Operating under the supervision of provincial governors, the committees commenced work on 4 September. They are dividing neighborhoods into three categories, premium, middle-income, and economic, using criteria, such as location, building condition, utilities, and access to public services.
Once the process is complete in February, their findings will be approved by governors and published in the Official Gazette.
The law sets rent adjustments at up to 20 times current levels in premium zones (with a minimum of EGP 1,000 per month), 10 times in middle-income areas (minimum EGP 400), and 10 times in economic areas (minimum EGP 250).
Non-residential units will see a fivefold rent increase, followed by 15 percent annual rises during the transition period.
After the transition period ends, tenants must vacate their units unless new agreements are made.
The government has pledged to provide alternative housing for affected residents, prioritizing original tenants and their families.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has vowed that the state “will not allow those who deserve housing to live in fear about their future,” emphasizing that the reform aims to ensure fairness while preventing displacement.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
