Property owners in the Omar Golestan neighborhood, located within the 3rd Macroryan district of Kabul, have voiced strong opposition to recent directives by de facto municipal and land commissions requiring them to pay monthly rent on homes they legally purchased and hold title deeds for.
According to messages sent by local homeowners to Afghanistan International on Monday, October 25, de facto authorities have designated their residential properties as “Emirati” (state-owned) land and imposed a mandatory monthly fee of 4,000 Afghanis ($4,000 AFN) per room.
Dispute Over Valid Deeds and State Land Reclassifications
The financial directive has sparked acute anxiety among hundreds of households who maintain that their ownership claims are backed by legal documentation:
- Contested Ownership Documents: Affected residents report holding valid legal deeds, purchase contracts, and official transfer documents proving private ownership acquired prior to the August 2021 political transition.
- Arbitrary State Appropriations: De facto land grab prevention commissions have systematically reclassified vast residential tracts across urban Kabul as state property, overriding historical land titles without judicial review.
- Compounding Financial Hardship: Requiring multi-room households to pay thousands of Afghanis in monthly rent places an severe financial strain on families already struggling with widespread urban unemployment and economic stagnation.
Expanding Pattern of Urban Land Seizures
The situation in Omar Golestan reflects a broader trend across urban centers—including previous state land declarations in Omid Sabz Township and provincial capitals—where de facto land commissions systematically challenge civilian deeds to expand state real estate holdings.
Homeowners in Macroryan are demanding a formal, transparent review of their ownership titles by impartial legal experts, urging de facto authorities to provide clear legal grounds for nullifying private property rights and forcing residents to rent their own homes.