Housing in Zanskar represents a remarkable adaptation to an extreme environment. Traditional homes are large, multi-story structures built from stone and sun-dried mud bricks. They feature flat roofs used for drying apricots, storing fodder, and piling firewood for the winter. The ground floor is historically used to house livestock during winter (generating radiant heat), while the family lives on the upper floors.
In recent years, the housing market in the main town of Padum has begun to change. Concrete, brick, and corrugated iron roofs are becoming more common, signaling modernization but also leading to debates about the loss of passive solar efficiency found in traditional architecture. Real estate is primarily ancestral and inherited, though a small rental market exists in Padum for government workers, teachers, and laborers.