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Casablanca — Marrakech’s housing market is being reshaped by the rapid growth of Airbnb-style rentals, with analysts warning that local residents are increasingly being priced out of the city.
The boom in short-term rentals has pushed more property owners in Marrakech to turn apartments into tourist accommodation instead of renting to local families, according to an analysis published by MoCal Alliance founder Adam Chraibi.
Marrakech has seen a sharp rise in tourism over the past two years, becoming one of Morocco’s top international destinations. But behind that growth, the city is facing mounting pressure on housing availability and affordability.
The report says a middle-class apartment in areas like Guéliz that once rented for around MAD 3,000 per month to local residents can now generate roughly MAD 1,000 per night on short-term rental platforms. Even with moderate occupancy rates, landlords earn far more from tourists than from long-term tenants.
Read also: Morocco Moves to Regulate Airbnb Rentals as Government Targets 20% Rent Reduction
That gap has encouraged many owners to leave the traditional rental market altogether.
According to the analysis, Marrakech now concentrates nearly 27% of Morocco’s Airbnb supply, with more than 21,000 active listings. Prime residential property prices have climbed around 20% year-on-year, while long-term rents in popular neighborhoods have risen between 15% and 25%.
The situation has also created what the report describes as “renter lock-in.” Many tenants are choosing not to move, even when their homes no longer fit their needs, because finding another affordable apartment has become extremely difficult.
Under Morocco’s Law 67-12, landlords cannot raise rents for existing tenants by more than 8% every three years. But once a tenant leaves, property owners can relist units at much higher market prices or move them entirely to short-term rental platforms.
The Moroccan government has recently introduced new rules aimed at regulating the sector. One of the main measures is the “120-day rule,” which limits unlicensed homeowners from renting primary residences for more than four months per year.
Still, the report argues enforcement remains weak, especially without stronger coordination and data-sharing between rental platforms and local authorities.
Chraibi warned that simply building more housing would not solve the problem on its own. The analysis calls for stricter zoning rules, heavier taxes on properties used exclusively for short-term rentals, and better transparency on occupancy and host revenues.
Without tougher regulation, the report warns Marrakech risks gradually losing its residential character as more housing shifts toward tourism-focused use.
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