Shafaq News- Baghdad

Abandoned homes across Baghdad are increasingly becoming shelters for stray dogs, rodents, and insects, leaving neighboring families struggling with the effects of properties whose owners are often difficult to reach.

Many of the houses have remained vacant because their landlords have not been able to use them or prefer not to rent them out due to their personal and family ties to the premises. Meanwhile, Residents in several areas complain that pests and stray animals have spread inside the buildings, as government face legal restrictions on renovating or using privat owned assets without the owners' consent.

Yasmin Mohammed, 35, from Al-Mansour, told Shafaq News that her Christian neighbors left their residence in 2011 and moved to the United States, asking her to look after the property. She periodically cleans the premises and uses pesticides, but said the measures provide only a temporary solution, raising concerns that they could spread to nearby buildings.

In Al-Karrada, Rajaa Mohsen said neighbors had filed several complaints with the relevant official institutions over dogs and insects entering an unoccupied house in the area.

While some desert their properties empty in the hope of returning one day, authorities cannot legally take control of private homes without their consent, forcing surrounding communities to contend with the effects of prolonged neglect.