Various members of parliament and politicians called for a review of the old rent bill submitted by the government, following its popular rejection and disapproval in recent days.
MP for Alexandria, Ali al-Dessouky, said that the law is now surrounded by popular opposition, and therefore requires a review of it in a new way that takes into account the interests of both tenants and landlords.
Many families will be significantly harmed if the bill is approved in its current form, he warned.
Dessouky said that this matter requires a broad, comprehensive societal dialogue bringing together all legal, parliamentary, and economic stakeholders, as well as tenants and landlords, so that each can contribute their input to the societal dialogue and reach a consensus that justly meets the needs of all involved parties.
“Some view the draft law as unfair, harsh, and unjust to tenants in particular, particularly regarding the proposed increases in rental values for residential units, as well as the five-year period specified for the issuance of rental contracts,” he explained.
The head of the Constitutional Liberal Party, Mohamed Magdy Afifi, said it is essential to review the amendments to the old rent law proposed by the government, particularly those that have received widespread rejection and societal disapproval, as they will harm a large segment of Egypt’s tenants population.
Afifi said that the clause regarding the planned increases in rental values, particularly for residential units, has sparked outrage among a broad segment of citizens, necessitating a reconsideration of the law.
“It is unreasonable that, under the proposed amendments, rental values will increase 20 or 21-fold, with a minimum of LE 1,000 in cities and LE 500 in villages in the governorates,” he stated.
Afifi declared his rejection of the draft law in its current form, stressing that its approval would create a major societal rift at a time when Egypt needs to unite to overcome the current challenges it faces.
A member of the House of Representatives for Alexandria, Sawsan Hosni Hafez, rejected the amendments to the old rent law, particularly the five-year term and the added value on the monthly rent.
Hafez said that the law its current form is utterly inappropriate, especially since the rental value discriminates between villages and other governorates.
She continued by saying that terminating the contract five years after the law’s issuance is harmful, as five years is an insufficient period, especially for someone who has lived in a place for decades.
The MP too called for the need to revisit the law.
