Ghost apartments in Morocco: when MREs desert their properties

In the midst of a real estate crisis, Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima is the second region in Morocco in terms of the number of empty apartments, after Casablanca-Settat. A large proportion of these empty apartments belong to Moroccans living abroad (MRE).

According to official data, the number of empty apartments in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region is estimated at around 334,000 units, or 15.6% of the total number of unoccupied apartments in Morocco, making this region the second region in Morocco in terms of the number of empty apartments, after Casablanca-Settat. The increase in empty apartments is very worrying in Tangier. As proof, empty apartments make up nearly 18% of the total residential apartments in the city. At the origin of this phenomenon is the purchase of these homes by many Moroccans living abroad (MRE) who only occupy them during their stay in the kingdom. This situation is not without consequences for low-income households. They have difficulty accessing decent housing.