Kathmandu, Feb. 15 -- Last December, after leaving their jobs in Morang, Jeebika Sapkota and her sister arrived in Kathmandu hoping for a fresh start. But their room search became more exhausting than the Capital's pollution: a group of middlemen, empty promises, and fees paid for nothing.

At Jadibuti in Koteshwar, street brokers approached them within minutes.

''They would ask, 'Are you here to find a room?' Pay Rs500, and we'll help'," Sapkota recalled. Suspicious of the offers, they instead visited a rental office, filled out a form, paid the fee and were told they would be informed when rooms became available.

The calls never came.

Their experience reflects a larger, structural problem: Kathmandu's rapid population growth is strai...