New rental tiers leave 1.6 million old-rent tenants in Egypt in limbo

Egypt is facing renewed public debate over its long-standing old rent system as newly approved increases begin taking effect in several governorates, raising questions about implementation timelines, legal challenges and the future of Law No. 164 of 2025.

About 1.6 million households live in units under the old rent system, accounting for approximately 7% of all households in Egypt at the time of the census.

The total number of units rented under the old rent system nationwide stands at around 3.019 million units, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

In recent weeks, the long-standing file of old rent has once again returned to the forefront of public debate, fueled by growing controversy over the start of implementing newly approved increases in rental values for residential and commercial units.

This renewed debate follows the completion of survey committees tasked with classifying residential areas in several governorates under the new framework that effectively abolishes the decades-old system of fixed annual rents.

Last July, the Egyptian Parliament approved Law No. 164 of 2025, widely referred to as the Old Rent Law. The law came into force in September and aims to redefine the relationship between landlords and tenants after years of legal and political contention.