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Tue, Oct 15, 2024 | Rabi al-Thani 11, 1446 | DXB
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Abu Dhabi Takes Tough Stand on Villa-Sharing
ABU DHABI/DUBAI/SHARJAH - The ‘one-villa one-family’ regulation is set to be enforced in Abu Dhabi, too.
- By
- Staff Report
With families sharing villas in Dubai having pressed the panic button after the emirate’s civic body decided to impose heavy fines on landlords and tenants,..
the Department of Municipal Affairs in Abu Dhabi has also announced plans to start a major drive against the so-called ‘menace’.
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Joaan bin Salem Al Dhahiri, Chairman of the department, told Khaleej Times that inspection campaigns against bachelors and families sharing villas and apartments would be intensified and a strict action taken against the people who do so.
The practice of unmarried men and women living together in the same accommodation will also be dealt with strictly, he said. The authorities’ tough stand on single men and women staying together in villas and residential areas has forced many of them to pose as couples.
“Inspection campaigns will be launched across Abu Dhabi, including Al Ain and Al Gharbia (Western region). Apart from the mixed-sex housing, we will also focus on families sharing the same villa. Stiff penalties will be imposed on the landlords, investors and residents who flout the rules and conditions governing the tenancy contracts by renting out flats to unmarried men and women who then share the bedrooms or apartments,” Al Dhahiri said. Unmarried men and women living together in the same house or room are contrary to the religious and social customs and tradition, he said. “The municipality will launch inspection drives to ensure that the buildings do not house unmarried men and women in the same units. The offenders should end the practice, failing which they will be referred to the court concerned,” the official said.
In Dubai, Omar Mohammed Abdul Rahman, Head of the Building Inspection Section at the municipality, said though tenants would also be fined, officials would first penalise landlords.
“With the one-month deadline already over, landlords have to ensure that their villas don’t house more than one family. The villas should be clean and without any illegal partitions. Landlords who do not ensure this would be fined up to Dh50,000. Tenants deciding to stay put face fines up to the same amount, but we will target the landlords more now,” he said.
Officials at Sharjah and Ajman municipalities said they carry out inspections and take action based on the complaints.
Salem Al Kaabi, Head of Security Section at the Sharjah Municipality, said that a two-bedroom flat in the emirate must house only one family.
“This is already in the tenancy law of the emirate. We don’t carry out inspections in the apartments unless we receive complaints.
“Once we get a complaint, we give a week’s time to the families to move out. In the case of villas too, inspections are based on complaints.
“The number of people or families allowed to live in a single villa depends on the size of the villa,” the official said.
Osman Abu Shawarib, Head of the Rent Dispute Committee in Ajman, said only one family must stay in an apartment. “Presently, we are focusing on evicting bachelors from the residential areas. We are not targeting families at the moment,” he said.
news@khaleejtimes.com
Share your opinion with us!
Do you think that inspection campaigns against bachelors and families sharing villas and apartments that is to be intensified, will improve the living conditions of the people residing in the UAE?
Expatriate population in Abu Dhabi can be broadly categorised into the following, in terms of accommodation: (1) Upper creamy layer who can afford luxury apartments or provided by the company (2) Labourers who live in sub-standard labour camps (3) Lucky people who still pay average rent of AED40,000 pa for an erstwhile Khalifa Committee apartment and sublet one room for around AED3,500 per month (AED42,000 pa) so live free and still make a profit (4) Those unlucky group of middle income families who are either forced to pay huge rent or in eternal search for an apartment for rent in the range of AED40 - 70,000 pa. – Ravi Nair, Abu Dhabi
This is too much!If they remove people from sharing apartments and villas, where the families has to go! we don\t have sufficient accommodation right now in Abu Dhabi, people are suffering a lot, all the new buildings are occupied by hotel apartments and some building they are giving furnish flats on high rents. The middle class people and the lower middle class people have to suffer if this rule is implemented. In this regard the only way to go back to our home country. My humble request to Department of Municipal Affairs is to understand our problem and try to provide sufficient apartments with affordable rents for the middle class and lower middle class families. And then take this action for one family one apartment or villa's rule. – Abdul Aleem, Abu Dhabi
Even in USA or Europe they don’t have such strict rule that uncle or cousins cannot live together, what kind of rule is that? Soon families will be sent back home then social evil will rise, has anybody thought about that, this is Islamic country & Islam doesn’t have such restriction. There is no much space to live here, rents as unequal, how can you bring this kind of rule. – Zish, Dubai
It will create problems, where we will go, I am sharing a small area of villa with my two kids it so difficult to find another room or apartment. – Zahra, Abu Dhabi
Government should take steps for a low income group who wants to live their life with the family. It will be right if they allow them to stay in a villa restricting the size and space. They should advise the landlord to restrict the number of rooms, if municipality finds it more they should ask the landlord to demolish extra rooms and allow the other tenants to live. If they take such step it will really help the low and average earning group. – Monica Dilip D'Mello, Dubai
It’s a great step but what is the solution, why families are sharing one villa, because they enjoy it or they love to share their privacy or something. No, obviously not. So, the reason is accommodations are not available and the one that are available are very expensive. I agree with the step but must say that before this step enough accommodation should be available so that families can survive there. Else make a rule that poor people should not stay in the Emirate!!! – Muhammad Ahmed, Abu Dhabi
I think this is unjustfor expatriates. Firstly, the Government or the municipality should check the renting pattern of the building owner as there are no fixed rents for one bedroom, or two bedrooms. Here the rents are different for each flat. There are no new buildings and rents are very high so under these conditions where will the public go? It’s the job of the Municipality or the Government first to make sure that adequate flats are available, and then start checking. Even in Abu Dhabi where such big projects are coming up and work is going on, do you think public will find suitable accommodation? – Abdul, Abu Dhabi
This is completely unacceptable, what is wrong if two families live in a shared house whereas two or three nationals can live in same house? What is wrong if these expats share one house or building as they are here to earn and rents are sky-rocketing in the UAE? Who can afford these? And finally, why don’t they check hotels where no only one but thousands stays illegally? – Rashid, Dubai
This is very offensive step as many of the working personnel who cannot afford family to live with them, where they will go and those who are just started his career in Abu Dhabi and are about to marry in a year. Where they will go? I strongly oppose this step. As everyone knows that there is a shortage of accommodation in Abu Dhabi. Where will people go? - Salman Hashmi, Abu Dhabi
It’s too stupid to even hear of such a thing, there should just be a limit on number of people in the villa. –Rafik, Dubai
Please make adequate space for the low income group before implementing the law. – Zachariah Mathew, Abu Dhabi
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