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Tenants panic as crowded villas face demolition

The ‘red alert’ warns of demolishing their dwellings and this has forced tenants in many villas to literally run 
for shelter.

The bill which says, “Building laws violated in this property. Building to be demolished,” has cropped up in front of several villas in Dubai, sending out a clear message that the civic body is stern on implementing the deadline issued earlier this month for landlords and tenants to “remove irregularities and correct their status”.

The February 14 deadline was the ultimate warning for multiple families sharing villas, in violation against municipal rules that prohibit overcrowding, and constructing unauthorised room partitions or additional structures in buildings.

While tenants in such villas were notified of disruption in water and power supplies, their landlords were warned that “irregularities” would be demolished and they would be taken to court if they failed to evict their tenants.

Though officials spearheading the crackdown on crowded villas as part of the One Villa-One Family campaign have been tightlipped to the media about the proceedings after the deadline was over, their swift action has left families living in such villas in a state of panic.

On Wednesday, it emerged that at least two dozen villas in the Rashidiya area, where the campaign has seen a huge impact since its launch in 2008, have been slapped with the red notice from the Buildings Department of Dubai Municipality.

So far, the area has only seen illegally built rooms and structures in many villas getting demolished by municipal workers. This is the first time that the civic body is talking of knocking down entire buildings.

Though the date of demolition has not been mentioned, families said they had been informed by their landlords that they should vacate before March 1.

The impact was visible in the streets.

Tenants in some villas have already vacated, while others are still clinging on, hiding behind closed doors when municipal inspectors pass by their 
villas.

A sense of fear and uncertainty has gripped those who have still not found alternative accommodation for their families.

“We don’t know what is going to happen to us. The landlord is saying the municipality will first cut water and electricity. But, the notice says the whole building will be demolished,” an Indian housewife said, on condition of anonymity.

A group of bachelors said they continued to live in their villa even after the power and water connections were severed. “We don’t want to live like this. But, we can’t find affordable accommodation anywhere nearby,” said one of them.

Several women said they were worried about their children’s studies as many of them have to appear for their exams from Sunday.

They requested the municipality to spare them from the eviction plan till April so that they could make proper arrangements for their school-going children.

Email: sajila@khaleejtimes.com

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