Almost 700 villas across the capital that were being used illegally for multiple occupancy accommodation have now been modified following a crackdown by the municipality.
Over the past two years, officials have issued more than 2,500 fines to villa owners for violations, including unlicensed partitioning and overcrowding, following the implementation of the Tawtheeq project – a campaign aimed at curbing over-occupancy of rented properties.
Due to high rents across the capital, it has been common practice for homeowners to partition their villas into multiple occupancy homes encouraging numerous families or bachelors to live in the same home.
The Khalifa and Mohammed bin Zayed City areas of the city have proved popular with expats looking for cheaper rents in sub-divided villas with rooms and flats often less than half the price of accommodation in the downtown areas of the city.
Ali Khalid Al Hashimi, head of Tawtheeq Lease Contracts Section, said all property owners should register their villas with Tawtheeq. He also urged all tenants to ensure the properties they rent have been registered under the Tawtheeq System for Attesting Tenancy Contracts “through referring to the property owner to verify the authenticity of details of both the landlord and property to avoid any subsequent disputes or discrepancies.”
The municipality has led daily enforcement and inspection campaigns to clamp down on villa sharing as it “undermines public health, disfigures the appearance of the city and impacts on the environment as well as on the services and utilities.”
Matt Holzl, partner at Pink Property, urged tenants to check that any prospective property they are considering renting to be Tawtheeq compliant, saying renters could lose their deposit and rent payments if evicted, adding that any contract between the tenant and the landlord would be null and void leaving no recourse to get any advanced rent payments back.
He said: “All properties in Abu Dhabi should now be registered with Tawtheeq except for in freehold zones such as Al Reef and Reem Island. It is vital for people to check that the property they are planning on renting is fully registered with Tawtheeq.”
One British expat who lost more than AED 40,000 when he was evicted from his property in Khalifa A recently said: “I rented the flat in good faith from the landlord as it was considerably cheaper than other places in the capital. It was obviously a multi-occupancy address and there were numerous families all living under the one roof.
“The landlord was quick to take my money, but I hadn’t realised it was illegal to sub-divide the property. Officials came around, evicted everyone and trying to get my money back proved impossible. It was an expensive lesson to learn.”
For more information on Tawtheeq see: www.adm.gov.ae
