High Demand for Rentals in Opposition-Controlled Northwest Syria

The areas controlled by the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), affiliated with Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) in Idlib, are experiencing high demand in the rental market and rising prices in major cities such as Idlib, Maarrat Misrin, Sarmada, and Dana. This region already suffers from significant population density due to forced displacement and migration from regime-controlled areas across Syria. Additionally, the continuous deportation of Syrians from Turkey to Idlib over the past two years has increased the pressure on the rental market in Idlib.

Currently, around 3.48 million people live in the areas controlled by the SSG in Idlib, according to the latest statistics released by the Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) in October 2023. Mazen Alloush, the media office director at the Bab Al-Hawa crossing between Idlib and Turkey, told The Syria Report that since the beginning of 2024, Turkey has forcibly deported approximately 11,000 people from its territory to opposition-controlled areas in northwest Syria, while around 11,000 have returned voluntarily. This brings the total number of returnees from Turkey in the first six months of 2024 to 22,000 people, compared to around 20,000 people throughout the entirety 2023, of whom 11,000 returned voluntarily and 9,000 were forcibly deported.

Syrian refugees in Turkey with temporary protection cards (“kimlik”) who wish to return to opposition-controlled areas in northwest Syria can approach the immigration office in their respective provinces to conduct an interview explaining their reasons for returning, where they are granted a paper called “external deportation permit.” Often, the motivations for return are related to the high cost of living in Turkey and the inability to afford expenses, and also the desire to bring the families together inside Syria. The ongoing restrictions and increasing racist treatment of Syrians in Turkey also factor in. The immigration office then grants those wishing to return an external deportation permit within 15 days through one of the crossings between Syria and Turkey, where the refugee hands over their kimlik and the external deportation permit and signs a “voluntary return” form.

Forced deportation, on the other hand, affects Syrians residing in Turkey who violate residence conditions or do not have a temporary protection card. After being detained by Turkish police, they are gathered in centres belonging to the immigration office, where their documents are reviewed, and they are forced to sign a voluntary departure document. They are then deported to Syria through the nearest border crossing to the gathering centre.

Many of those forcibly deported from Turkey to Idlib are not originally from Idlib and do not have extended families, relatives, or even acquaintances there, a correspondent for The Syria Report explained. They also lack properties or homes in the area. A large number of these forcibly deported individuals cannot return to their home regions of Syria as those areas are under the control of regime forces. This group of forcibly deported people is now compelled to find housing and seek employment in opposition-controlled areas, especially given the difficulty of returning to Turkish territory. Turkish authorities are stringent in preventing human smuggling from Syria to Turkey, and opposition factions of the National Army also prevent people smuggling from the Syrian side of the border.

After being deported from Turkey to Syria at the beginning of May via the Bab Al-Hawa crossing, AbdulLatif stayed for a month in a barbershop belonging to an acquaintance of a friend in the city of Sarmada. During this time, he searched for a room to rent in the cities of Dana or Sarmada. However, the high prices made him change his plans and rent a room in the city of Atmeh for USD 40.

Meanwhile, Mustafa moved to work in the city of Dana in April 2023, opening a new shop selling men’s clothing on the “malls’ street.” While waiting to rent a suitable house in Dana, Mustafa’s relatively large family remained in the border town of Atmeh, renting a four-room house with a good view and decent furnishings for USD 100 per month. Since then, Mustafa has been searching for accommodation for himself and his family in Dana, but all available rental properties in the area are expensive. Various real estate offices offered Mustafa several houses, but they were either too small for his large family or poorly furnished. These included a three-room house with average furnishings for USD 150 per month, an old two-room house for USD 100 per month, and a four-room house on the third floor for USD 200 per month.

Approximately 164,235 people live in Dana, including 94,000 newcomers. In the 2004 census, the town’s population was around just 14,000. The high rental prices in Dana are due to its status as a prosperous commercial area in northwest Syria, with more than ten large malls, including Al-Hamra, Al-Jaloum, Al-Zahrawi, and the Gold Souq. Additionally, the city is close to the Bab Al-Hawa crossing with Turkey and the adjacent industrial area, making it an attractive destination for newcomers to opposition areas seeking housing, investment opportunities, and employment. As a result, there is a high demand for rentals, but a limited supply, according to a real estate office owner in Dana who spoke to The Syria Report. Despite the high demand for housing and significant urban expansion in recent years, the city suffers from poor services and fragile infrastructure. Residents rely on water tankers, the streets are narrow and unpaved, flooding occurs in winter, and the city faces constant traffic congestion.

An employee at a real estate office in Dana told The Syria Report that rental agreements are signed for a one-year term. Real estate offices charge a commission equivalent to one month’s rent, split equally between the tenant and the landlord. The tenant must also provide a security deposit equal to one month’s rent, usually ranging between USD 100-150, depending on whether the house is furnished or not. The tenant gets this deposit back at the end of the lease, provided they do not renew it, and after deducting any repair costs if damages occurred. These contracts are documented in official contract books that the SSG distributes to real estate offices.

Contracts are supposed to be notarised, with a notarisation fee of 100 Turkish Liras. However, this is often done only if the tenant requests it to safeguard their rights in case of a dispute, as a notarised contract serves as an enforceable document in court execution departments.

In its Decision No. 121 issued in February 2022, the SSG mandated that rental contracts must be registered with the Ministry of Justice, with the rental term set at one year, renewable. The decision also required the monthly rent amount to be explicitly stated in the contract, in either Turkish Lira or U.S. Dollars. The decision grants the landlord the right to evict the tenant at the end of the lease term. However, the Salvation Government has not established mechanisms to enforce this decision, leaving rental arrangements to be negotiated between the parties, and the rent amount is often not disclosed.