Work begins on about 1,000 rental housing units across 12 new towns in Iran, with 190 ready to hand over

Shahram Maleki, deputy minister of roads and urban development and managing director of the New Towns Development Company, said on Monday 3 August 2026 (12 Mordad 1405) that the process of supplying about 1,000 residential units across 7 provinces and 12 new towns has begun. Approvals covering 704 units have so far been obtained and communicated through the boards of the subsidiary development companies and their assemblies, and a further 190 units are now ready to be handed over to qualifying applicants.

He said the programme runs under clause 1 of article 2 of the law on organising and supporting housing production and supply, and article 6 of the rental market management package approved at the sixth session of the Supreme Housing Council. That article allows the National Land and Housing Organisation and the New Towns Development Company to use land and property barter capacity to provide completed, ready to occupy units as rental housing for young couples without homes.

Maleki said applicants will register through the provincial roads and urban development offices, and that prioritisation will be fully systemic, based on indicators such as income decile and household vulnerability. Units are being sourced by identifying usable properties, land barter, purchases from the private sector and joint venture projects.