Kabul Residents Complain of Soaring Rent Prices Amid Harsh Economic Conditions

With the onset of colder weather, many residents of Kabul are voicing frustration over the sharp and unbearable rise in housing rent prices. They say that under current difficult economic conditions, paying high rents has become unaffordable for many families.

Ruhollah, a resident of Kabul, told Tolo News that rent prices were previously more reasonable, ranging between 2,000 to 5,000 Afghanis. However, due to new construction and increased demand, homes are now being rented at significantly higher rates.

Rangin, another local resident, also told the same outlet: “Rents have more than doubled, and people can no longer afford to pay. Many are constantly searching day and night for affordable housing.”

Officials from several real estate agencies in Kabul have confirmed that in recent months, rental, sale, and mortgage prices for housing have risen sharply. Masood, one such agent, said that two-room houses, which used to rent for around 6,000 to 7,000 Afghanis, now cost about 10,000 to 11,000 Afghanis.

He added that although the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice had previously set a designated annual rent increase cap of 10 percent and claimed to enforce it, in practice this rule is either not implemented or ignored by landlords.

Real estate agents cite rapid urban population growth and the large-scale return of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries like Iran and Pakistan as the main causes of the surge in rental prices. These factors have led to increased housing demand in Kabul, allowing landlords to raise rents—often doubling them—without oversight.

Given the current situation, the lack of law enforcement and practical oversight by the Taliban administration is once again placing significant economic pressure on Kabul’s already struggling residents.