Weighing Renters; Renting Outpaces Household Growth

An economic newspaper in Iran has reported on the state of the rental market and the increasing number of tenants, stating that the weight of renters compared to homeowners in the country has increased. According to Donya-e-Eqtesad, official data shows that last year, a 3.5% growth in the tenant population led to a 1% increase in their share of total households. The report highlights that the population of renters is growing at twice the rate of household growth in the country, resulting in a 1% increase in the share of tenant households from 1400 to 1401. During this period, the number of tenant households increased by 3.5%, which is double the annual growth rate of households. Statistics also indicate that the growth rate of renting in the country is three times that of the population growth. This increase among renters occurs amid a very critical rental market situation. The newspaper Shargh reported in June of this year that housing prices have risen on average by 50 to 100% compared to last year. For example, the price per square meter of residential units in the Azgol area of Tehran has risen from 100 million tomans in 1401 to 200 million tomans this year, with the costs of rent and housing also increasing by 50 to 100% during this period. The turmoil in the housing market continues; buying and selling homes have become dollar-denominated. A news agency reported a 20% discount from home sellers; the recession is deep and ongoing. The Research Center of the Parliament has noted that homelessness has intensified in eight new forms. The 'strange' narrative from the Statistics Center about a positive balance of income and expenses; livelihood is enslaved by statistics. The acceleration of poverty in Iran has led to a reconsideration of social stratification by the government.