For much of the twentieth century, Egypt’s “old rent” laws have capped rents at levels that now seem obsolete. In neighborhoods like Manial, families pay as little as EGP 8 (USD 0.16) a month for spacious apartments, other tenants pay as low as EGP 10-30 (USD 0.20-0.61) per month for apartments and properties in upscale locations such as Heliopolis and Zamalek. The prices were set by contracts dating back to the 1960s and later reinforced under Law No. 136 of 1981, which capped annual payments at no more than seven percent of a property’s assessed value at the time of signing. In late 2024, Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the fixed rent provisions of the 1981 law were unconstitutional and ordered Parliament to amend the law by the end of the current legislative session, setting the deadline in June 2025. As Egypt’s Parliament approaches a critical deadline, millions of tenants and property owners have been thrown into a state of uncertainty. While landlords see a long-awaited opportunity to reclaim control over their properties or secure higher rents, tenants fear displacement or homelessness. “The new law must create a balance…
