Are bachelors, single men no longer welcome in Sharjah's family areas?

Sharjah - Sharjah Municipality officials said they are aware of cases of single men living in flats in family areas and promise to act.

'Bachelors' and single men are not allowed to share apartments in Sharjah's 'family' areas, but the practice is on the rise in Al Shuwahain, Al Guwair, Al Majaz, Maysalon and Al Qadisiah, Khaleej Times reports.
Families in these areas are now asking authorities to intervene and impose tough penalties on owners and tenants who rent or sub-let their residential units to blue collar workers. Intensify inspections to prevent single men in staying in apartments meant only for families, they said. Residents said bachelors living in ''family areas pose serious security and social problems''.
"Our area was free of bachelors for several years, but now they have come back and the landlord is renting apartments,'' said Majid Al Amri, a resident in Al Qadisiya.
Khalid Al Turaifi said bachelors have ''increased in his area because tenants deceive landlords and the municipality by presenting family documents. After they move in they sub-let it to single men''.
They said new regulations should be framed to penalise the owners and those who sub-let apartments. According to municipality statistics, complaints of sub-tetting units to bachelors and single women touched 1,643 this year. There were 1,600 in 2015.
Sharjah Municipality officials said they are aware of cases of single men living in flats in family areas and promise to act.
When the municipality receives a complaint, they send inspectors to the area. Three warnings are issued to the owner of the residential unit. If he fails to evict single men and women from the apartment or building, the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority disconnects utility services. "The municipality issues orders for disconnection of electricity supply only after three warnings are issued," a municipality official said. Inspectors visited 8,411 residential units till the end of the August.
"Sub-letting is illegal in Sharjah. Criminals exploit these loopholes to commit crimes. The owner who sub-let the flat to them faces problems, said Ibrahim Al Ajill, Director CID, Sharjah Police. 
How it works
It has been found out that some of the tenants rent the unit as family by showing all documents to prove that they are illegible for renting the unit in residential building, but later they sub rent it to bachelors without the knowledge of the apartment.
Some of them they sublet the unit to more than one family in an apartment or traditional houses which they divided by using wooden or cardboard dividing without authorizations.
The inspectors also have recently found female and males living in one unit without any legal relation between them, which is strictly prohibited by law.
Who is allowed to live in residential area?
He explained that there are two categories that are allowed to living in residential apartment, villas, and traditional houses in all areas in Sharjah. These categories include families and white collars bachelors who work in banks, government department. "They white collars only allowed in apartments in residential and commercial areas,"
Who is not allowed in residential areas?
None white collar bachelors who are not allowed to live in areas extended in Wasit Street and workers are only industrial areas in the emirate. "When we say bachelors, we only mean labourers and workers who are supposed to be accommodated in industrial areas," he confirmed
The official urged the residents to avoid violating the rules and inform the municipality about any violations by calling 993 which receives call 24/7.
The municipality would not tolerate those who violate the regulation and would impose hefty fines which would be doubled in case of repeating. "The municipality will slap fines ranging from Dh300 to Dh500 for tenancy-related violations. The fine is doubled if the violation is repeated. "He explained
The municipality also keen in spreading awareness on danger of illegal practices and tenancy law by distributing publication among residents.
Ahmed Barakat, a building manager in Sharjah, said: "We don't allow bachelors in the building because we follow the rules and regulation and respect the privacy of families reside in the building." "Tenants in the building want to be sure that their wives and daughters and young children are moving safely about in the building without any trouble. If I am deceived by a bachelor and he tells me his family is following him, I can cancel his contract and the municipality will oblige him to pay a one year lease."
A representative of Al Majid real estate, said: "Bachelors are making lots of problems in Sharjah. I know there might be exceptions, such as executives working in reputed establishments, but most labor workers cause trouble for families residing in building."
He explained that a lot of mischievous acts are committed by these bachelors such as playing noisy music and receiving girlfriends in their apartments.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah