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28 March 2024

Abu Dhabi tenants face tough new conditions

Abu Dhabi apartment tenants have again come under pressure from landlords. (File)

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By Staff

 Abu Dhabi apartment tenants have again come under pressure by landlords who have started to demand a full year’s rent, annual increase and high car parking fees.

Tenants said they were also told by landlords to pay for car park ‘key’ as the emirate’s rent market shifts in favour of landlords because of high demand and low supply.

“The landlord demanded a full year’s rent of Dh95,000, which is a very big sum for me…I looked for another apartment but its owner again made the same demand plus Dh10,000 for car park,” said Ahmed Malik, an Abu Dhabi tenant.

Fairouz Gali, quoted by Emarat Alyoum daily, said she was also told by her landlord to pay Dh110,000 as an annual rent, adding that she could not afford it.

“We hope authorities will intervene to protect the tenants who have become very weak following the abolition of the ceiling on annual rent rise,” she said.

Emarat Alyoum quoted Akram Maghribi, another tenant, as saying he was asked to pay full year’s rent plus Dh12,000 for car park inside the building. “I was also told by the landlord to pay Dh300 for the key to the car park…the contract also included a condition that I must agree to a 10 per cent annual rent increase,” he said.

A property expert confirmed that landlords are imposing ‘tough and unjustified’ conditions on tenants and called on authorities to intervene.

“These conditions are a result of the shift in the market due to high demand and low property supply…it has now become a landlord’s not a tenant’s market…there should be measures by authorities to clarify the rights and duties of both tenants and landlords,” he added.