Rent For 2 Bedroom Apartment Up By 28.3% In 2 Years, Finds Union Study

Between 2022 and 2024, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Malta increased by 28.3%, more than twice the growth in the mean national salary, which rose by 12.4% during the same period, a new study by tenant union Solidarjetà found.

Solidarjetà describes the current rental market as “structurally unbalanced and operates to the severe detriment of tenants.”

Official data from the Housing Authority show that rents for a two-bedroom apartment rose from €770 per month in 2022 to €990 in 2024, while three-bedroom apartments increased from €925 to €1,120 per month.

Areas with previously lower rents experienced some of the largest increases. In Gozo, two-bedroom rents rose by 42%, and the Southern Harbour region saw a 40% rise.

Popular localities were also affected. In Gzira, for example, two-bedroom rents increased by 45.8%, an additional €377 per month.

The study compared these increases with a regulatory measure that limits rent rises to 5% between consecutive contracts. It found that the actual 2024 rent for a two-bedroom apartment (€989) exceeded this limit by €145 per month, representing annual extra costs of €1,300 to €1,740 per household.

In response, Solidarjetà member Patricia Graham launched a petition urging Parliament to “tie the 5% rent increase directly to the original amount registered with the Housing Authority, regardless of whether a lease is renewed or a new tenant moves in.”

The petition has already gathered over 800 signatures. You can find full study here.

#MaltaDaily