Kazakhstan weighs taxes on vacant housing as rents climb 20-30%

September 6, 2026 at 07:40 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Kazakhstan's housing market faces a shortage despite 24.5 square meters per resident in 2025, below the UN benchmark of 30. Rental rates for one-bedroom apartments rose 11% on average, with two-bedroom units up 13% and three-bedroom units up 10%. Authorities are examining measures such as vacancy taxes and utility tariff changes to bring unused apartments back to market.

Key Facts

In 2025, Kazakhstan had about 24.5 square meters of housing per resident, below the UN benchmark of 30 square meters.
More than 17,000 Kazakhstanis own between six and ten apartments, and about 1 million citizens own two properties.
Median rents for two-bedroom apartments rose in all 19 cities surveyed, with Karaganda up 26% to 230,000 tenge and Kostanay up 25% to 250,000 tenge.
In August, Astana remained the most expensive city for one-bedroom rentals at 250,000 tenge, while Almaty and Astana both reached 500,000 tenge for three-bedroom apartments.
Vancouver applies a 3% tax on vacant homes based on assessed value, and Belarus charges unsubsidized utility tariffs for apartments with no registered residents.

Housing Shortage

Kazakhstan's housing stock reached about 24.5 square meters per resident in 2025, below the UN benchmark of 30 square meters. Despite active construction, demand for real estate remains high, pushing up both apartment prices and rental rates. More than 17,000 Kazakhstanis own between six and ten apartments, and about 1 million citizens own two properties. Another 219,000 people own three properties, but it is unknown how much of this housing is permanently used, rented out, or left empty.

Rental Market Surge

Median rents for one-bedroom apartments rose 11% on average, two-bedroom units 13%, and three-bedroom units 10% across Kazakhstan. Two-bedroom rents increased in all 19 cities surveyed, with Karaganda up 26% to 230,000 tenge, Kostanay up 25% to 250,000 tenge, and Pavlodar up 25% to 250,000 tenge. Uralsk saw a 20% rise to 180,000 tenge, while Almaty and Astana both rose 16.7% to 350,000 tenge. Astana remained the most expensive city for one-bedroom rentals at 250,000 tenge, compared to 230,000 tenge in Almaty. For three-bedroom apartments, Almaty caught up with Astana, with both cities now at 500,000 tenge, eliminating the previous 100,000 tenge gap.

Policy Responses

Vancouver applies a 3% tax on vacant homes based on assessed value under certain conditions. Some Chinese cities have restricted the number of properties an individual can purchase. Belarus calculates utility payments for apartments with no registered residents using economically justified tariffs without state subsidies. The main challenge in introducing a vacancy tax is determining whether an apartment is actually empty.