Finding a rental home in the city of al-Dana in northern Idlib has become extremely difficult amid a continuous rise in rental prices in recent months.

This increase has particularly affected displaced families in the city, who face the challenge of securing housing that fits their limited financial capabilities.

Previously, it was possible to find small apartments with two rooms or one room priced between 50 to 70 dollars, but now prices have soared to exceed 100 dollars.

Unaffordable prices: Accept or evacuate

Mustafa al-Naser, displaced from rural Aleppo and residing in the city of al-Dana, currently faces difficulties in finding a home after being displaced.

Even when he finds a home, the rents are so high that families are forced to accept them reluctantly.

Al-Naser mentioned to Enab Baladi that the rent for a two-room house currently stands at 125 dollars per month, whereas just two months ago it was around 60 dollars. This does not match his income; he works at a shop and his salary only covers part of his living expenses.

Al-Naser relies on the money sent by his brothers living abroad to pay the rent; without their help, he would not have been able to secure housing for his family, he says.

Bassem al-Mohammad, displaced from the city of Homs and a school teacher and father of three, faces the same problem, especially with a decrease in the number of homes available for rent in al-Dana.

Al-Mohammad stated that it has become difficult to find an appropriate house even after continuous searching, as the rent for a two-room house used to be around 50 dollars in a good area.

Today, obtaining an apartment on the third floor requires paying at least 75 dollars, while rents for apartments on the first floors exceed 200 dollars, and the rent for a three-room apartment reaches 150 dollars.

The rent does not also align with al-Mohammad’s monthly income, which is 6,800 Turkish lira (196.8 dollars). This accounts for almost a third of his salary, impacting his family’s living conditions, especially with the winter approaching, as he has to allocate a significant part of his salary to pay for the rent at the expense of buying winter clothes and heating supplies.

Al-Mohammad could not move to another area due to his job, and when he asked the landlord to lower the rent, the response was, “If you don’t like it, vacate the house; there are others who will rent it.”

Al-Mohammad also finds it difficult to move to other areas, such as camps or neighboring villages, because the cost of transportation would be an additional burden.

What caused the increase?

According to what residents in the city and owners of two real estate offices stated, the reasons for the rise are attributed to several factors:

• Repeated waves of displacement from areas subjected to recent bombardments by the regime and Russia.
• The return of Syrians from Turkey or their relocation to areas in northwestern Syria; both factors have increased the population density in the city.
• The lack of measures from local authorities to regulate the rental market, as some property owners have complete control over setting prices and the timing of increases.
• The randomness in the contracts made, which vary in their terms; some contracts allow rent increases after six months, while others do so every three months, leading to price hikes in recent times.

Price variations

Ali al-Saad, the owner of al-Saad office in the city of al-Dana, explained to Enab Baladi that rental prices and home sales vary between old and new neighborhoods in the city, and differ significantly.

In the old neighborhoods, the rent for a two-room apartment is about 70 dollars per month, while the rent for a four-room apartment costs about 125 dollars.

In the new neighborhoods, which feature modern construction that is monitored and inspected, the rent for two rooms reaches 100 dollars per month, while the rent for four rooms exceeds 150 dollars per month.

The office owner added that in the old neighborhoods, the prices for two-room apartments are around 5,000 dollars, while four-room apartments can cost about 10,000 dollars or more.

In the new neighborhoods, the prices for two-room apartments start from 9,500 dollars, while three-room apartments exceed 14,000 dollars.

Prices vary based on size, location, and orientation, and the apartments in the new neighborhoods are fully furnished for immediate occupancy.

Al-Saad pointed out that the new neighborhoods attract many traders because of the availability of commercial stores and malls, in addition to modern buildings being supervised and monitored, making them preferable to many residents.

Rental prices also vary according to the location in the city, the condition of the finishings, and the floor height, as observed by Enab Baladi.