Old Rent Tenants Can Apply for Alternative Housing from October 1st

Applications for alternative housing under Egypt’s amended old rent law will open on October 1st and remain available for three months, with submissions accepted online and at post offices across the country. Applicants will be able to create online accounts to track requests, submit supporting documents, and update their information throughout the process.

The application requires selecting the tenant category, property address, allocation system—subsidised rent, rent-to-own, or ownership via mortgage finance—and preferred geographic area. For residential units, applications may be submitted by the original tenant, their spouse if the contract was extended to them, or any tenant to whom the lease was later extended. For non-residential units, eligibility extends to the original tenant or any leaseholder after extension.

The Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Support Fund will oversee allocations through a dedicated unit responsible for registration, classification, priority setting, and identifying housing needs for eligible categories within six years of the law’s issuance. Under Article 8 of the amended legislation, tenants affected by the changes may request state-allocated residential or commercial units for rent or ownership, with priority given to vulnerable groups, including the original tenant, their spouse, and parents from whom the lease was extended.

Article 4 sets rent in premium areas at 20 times the current legal rate, with a minimum of EGP 1,000; in middle-class areas at 10 times the rate, with a minimum of EGP 400; and in economic areas at 10 times the rate, with a minimum of EGP 250. Tenants will also be required to pay EGP 250 monthly until classification committees complete their work, after which any rent differences will be collected in instalments.