The city of Ras al-Ain in northwestern al-Hasakah is witnessing a decline in property rents due to the return of a number of displaced people to their cities following the fall of the previous Syrian regime on December 8, 2024.
The decrease in rents has exceeded 60% compared to previous levels, and more housing options have become available. Property owners have been compelled to lower rents to avoid having their properties remain vacant.
Decrease in demand
After the return of the displaced people to their areas, demand for homes in Ras al-Ain has dropped, leading to an increase in housing offers at lower rents. Housing is now available at reduced costs, and in some cases, even for free.
Qusai Zidan (41 years old) decided to leave his home in the center of Ras al-Ain and return to the village of Ras al-Asafir, which is 20 kilometers away, due to his inability to continue paying the rent of $70 (770,000 Syrian pounds) per month.
When he informed the landlord of his decision to leave, the landlord offered to reduce the rent to $25 after facing difficulties finding a tenant due to the abundance of homes available for rent.
After this reduction, Zidan renewed the rental contract for another year, as he could now afford the new cost.
The number of vacant homes in Ras al-Ain has increased after the return of the displaced people to their towns – March 7, 2025 (Enab Baladi)
Aziz al-Soukel owns a retail store selling electrical tools. Because of his work in the city, he spent more than a year and a half searching for a home but found only a few homes with high rents ranging from $85 to $100.
Given this situation, al-Soukel had to return daily to his village, Hamid, located 20 kilometers east of Ras al-Ain, which became a burden for him in terms of time and costs.
With the fall of the regime and the return of the displaced people, many homes became vacant, providing al-Soukel the opportunity to find a house for $20 a month, and he was able to sign a two-year contract to finally settle in the city.
He noted that settling in his new home has helped him commit better to his work, as he is now closer to his store, reducing the hassle of daily commuting.
For free to avoid destruction and theft
Property owners are advertising homes for rent through social media and real estate offices, whether for rent or even for free to protect them from theft, with prices ranging from $10 to $40 per month at most.
Ammar al-Salman from Ras al-Ain owns three homes in the city, which were occupied by displaced families, and the rent for each home was $55 (total rent for the three homes was $165).
After the fall of the regime, the tenants returned to their town, Douma, in Damascus, and despite his long search, he was unable to find other tenants.
He mentioned that he offered the homes for free to anyone willing to stay in them, in order to protect them from theft and ensure they did not fall into neglect and decay.
Some homes are rented for free to avoid theft and decay in Ras al-Ain – March 7, 2025 (Enab Baladi)
Increasing supply
Aziz al-Azawy, a real estate office owner in Ras al-Ain, told Enab Baladi that he receives more than 10 people daily offering their homes for rent or mortgage, unlike the situation before the fall of the Assad regime, when there were no vacant homes in the city.
Al-Azawy explained that the return of the displaced people to their towns and villages has led to a large number of homes becoming vacant, forcing their owners to lower rents by more than 65%.
He added that in the past, people would frequently visit real estate offices to find homes for rent at prices reaching $100 per month, whereas currently, many of them have found homes for free, with the condition of preserving them from theft or decay.
Al-Azawy also pointed out that it is essential for the concerned authorities to intervene during this period to impose limits on rents, so that landlords do not raise them back to previous levels.
According to statistics obtained by Enab Baladi from the Real Estate Registry Directorate in the local council, the number of homes in the city of Ras al-Ain is approximately 11,130 homes.
The population of Ras al-Ain is about 115,000 people, of which approximately 6,500 are displaced persons, according to statistics conducted by the Center for Social Services.