Živković to ETV Portal: Rent is swallowing incomes while institutions ignore nearly one-fifth of the Population

Tenants in Montenegro have been left to fend for themselves for years, without adequate state protection or a serious housing policy that would provide them with greater security and a more dignified standard of living.

President of the Tenants' Association of Montenegro, Dragan Živković, warned in an interview with ETV Portal that state institutions continue to ignore the problems faced by nearly one-fifth of the country's population, while rents are rising faster than wages and an increasing number of families are struggling to make ends meet.

INSTITUTIONS IGNORE NEARLY ONE-FIFTH OF THE POPULATION

- To state institutions, tenants remain completely invisible. Unfortunately, for decades we have witnessed institutional silence and the neglect of the reality faced by almost one-fifth of Montenegro's population. The state has neither an accurate register of tenants nor reliable data on the number of rental agreements in force, which clearly demonstrates a lack of willingness to regulate the housing market - Živković said.

He stressed that even when formal dialogue with state institutions does take place, tenants are heard only to satisfy procedural requirements, while no meaningful progress follows.

- Tenants have been left to the mercy, or whim, of landlords, without legal certainty, social protection, or mechanisms that would shield them from soaring rents and inflation - Živković said.

According to him, rental prices have long since outpaced average wages, while the authorities continue to ignore the fact that many families are left without enough money to cover even their basic living expenses after paying rent.

PROMISES WITHOUT SOLUTIONS

Speaking about possible solutions, Živković said tenants have heard the same promises for years while their situation has remained fundamentally unchanged.

- On paper and during election campaigns we always hear about strategies and reforms, but in practice there are no serious indications that the position of tenants is improving - he said.

Živković argued that Montenegro's housing policies have for decades been shaped to serve the interests of privileged individuals and investors, while tenants have remained at the bottom of the list of priorities.

- We have proposed a number of concrete and sustainable solutions, from establishing a dedicated housing fund for tenants financed through taxes on rental income, to rent subsidies for the most vulnerable groups, as well as stricter oversight and measures to curb the informal economy in the rental sector - the president of the Tenants' Association of Montenegro said.

NO CHANGE WITHOUT POLICITAL COURAGE

According to Živković, the main obstacle is the lack of political will to adopt legislation that would provide tenants with genuine protection.

- What is missing is political courage and a genuine willingness to adopt legal solutions that would protect tenants. As long as the state is unwilling to tax the grey economy in this sector and redirect those revenues toward the construction of housing for socially vulnerable tenants, any talk of improving the situation will remain nothing more than empty words - Živković said.

Concluding the interview with ETV Portal, he stressed that tenants are not asking for special treatment but for basic rights that every well-functioning state should guarantee.

- We are not asking for charity. We are asking for systemic solutions and the fundamental right to a decent roof over our heads - Živković concluded.