The Tenant Association of Montenegro has observed a troubling trend of rising rent prices across the country. While the increases are currently small in scale, the association warns that the indicators clearly point to the potential for further escalation.
The association emphasizes that with the ongoing rise in living costs in Montenegro, housing remains one of the greatest financial burdens. Such rent price increases could have disastrous consequences for tenant families and individuals. They also highlight concerns that the majority of rental activities are taking place in the grey zone, where the state lacks the mechanisms or willingness to address the situation and bring it under legal and tax frameworks.
In response to these challenges, the Tenant Association recently introduced its project, “Platform for the Protection of Tenant Rights”, aimed at improving the material status of tenants and regulating the rental market. The platform outlines concrete steps and solutions to enhance tenants’ positions and combat illegal activities in the real estate rental market.
Unfortunately, the association has noted a lack of willingness and care from political actors and decision-makers to provide concrete support for tenants. They believe this neglect of one of the most vulnerable population groups sends a message of disregard for the basic needs of citizens.
The association advocates for subsidies to the most vulnerable tenant families as a justified, necessary and urgent solution that the government must immediately consider. Such measures would directly ease the existential burden on many families and individuals on the brink of poverty, promote a dignified life and reduce the risk of social exclusion. They argue that subsidies are not only a humanitarian necessity but also an economically rational decision that helps stabilize society and the real estate market.
This situation, according to the association, not only jeopardizes the survival of tenants but also exacerbates social inequality, destabilizes the real estate market and hinders the economic development of the community. They urge immediate action to prevent further deterioration of the already difficult financial situation of citizens.
As such, the association is calling on relevant authorities to urgently address the issue of the grey rental market by introducing and implementing appropriate legal and tax mechanisms. They are also appealing to political actors to prioritize housing issues in their programs and actions, including providing subsidies to the most vulnerable tenant families as an immediate measure. Finally, they urge the broader public to support the fight for a fairer real estate market and the protection of tenants.
