Establishment of 'Special Branches' in Shiraz to Address Legal Issues with Furnished Home Rentals

The prosecutor of Shiraz announced the creation of 'special branches' in the city's prosecutor's office and court to decisively deal with those renting out furnished homes, citing 'the spread of corruption and prostitution' as one of the consequences of these homes. Ali Salehi, in an interview with the official news agency of the judiciary, warned that individuals who rent out their homes 'outside the existing regulations' will be dealt with. He reported that to combat what he called 'this sinister phenomenon,' special branches have been established in the Shiraz prosecutor's office and court, and these cases will be handled 'as soon as possible.' The public and revolutionary prosecutor of Shiraz emphasized that renting out homes as furnished leads to 'the spread of corruption and prostitution' and turns these homes into 'safe havens for dangerous fugitives.' In November 2013, Ahmad Rahmanian, the social deputy of the judiciary in Fars province, had also announced that renting furnished homes in Shiraz was prohibited. Ramadan Amini, the deputy mayor of Shiraz, reported last December that 95 furnished homes had been sealed and 30 owners who had advertised for their rental had been arrested. Prosecutors and judiciary officials in Shiraz have not stated under which Iranian laws renting furnished homes is considered illegal. Hessam Aghabayi, the head of the Tehran real estate agents' union, stated in 2014 that renting furnished homes falls under the regulations for guesthouses and boarding houses, and permits must be obtained from the responsible authorities for their rental. Renting furnished homes, which was previously common only in northern provinces of Iran, has gained popularity in recent years in other major cities, with websites established in some cities to advertise these homes. The newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad reported on July 9, 2014, that these homes are mostly rented by foreign travelers or individuals traveling from other cities to Tehran, with rental prices fluctuating between 150,000 to 500,000 tomans. However, on July 25 of the same year, Hossein Tala, a representative of Tehran in the ninth parliament, stated that renting furnished apartments in Tehran for short periods is illegal and contributes to 'economic and security disruption in the country as well as moral issues.' The sensitivity of judiciary and police officials regarding the rental of furnished suites and single-person homes has increased in recent years. In this context, the real estate agents' union announced in January 2010 that the rental of apartments to single individuals would be controlled by real estate agents. According to this directive, real estate agencies are required to inquire about the reasons for renting for single applicants by reviewing documented evidence of university enrollment or employment cards, and if confirmed, they must fill out a special form for 'single tenants.'