Mostafa Abdel Rahman, the head of the Old Rent Landlords’ Coalition, praised President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to resolve the long-standing issue of old rent contracts, stressing the importance of the move for millions of citizens—especially landlords who have long suffered from unjust conditions. He expressed appreciation for the role of the government and the House of Representatives in discussing the draft law but also voiced reservations about some of its provisions, such as the seven-year period set for residential units. He considered the termination of commercial lease contracts after just five years illogical, given the substantial revenue these units generate.
Abdel Rahman called for reducing the duration of contract liberalization for residential units from 7 years to 3 years, citing the deteriorating condition of many buildings and the need for urgent renovation. He also criticized the proposed rent range—setting a minimum of EGP 250 and a maximum of EGP 1,000—as unacceptable. Instead, he demanded raising the minimum rent to EGP 1,000 and the maximum to EGP 3,000 for upscale areas, along with doubling rents for commercial spaces.
He also highlighted the necessity of resolving the issue of closed apartments, suggesting that freeing them up could help lower rental prices and revitalize the construction materials market.