Housing fee extended to pre-2005 connections

Dubai Municipality said that it has received very good response form those who came to register into the housing fee system which applies to all occupants of residential units, whether leased or owned.

A top official from Dubai Municipality said that the municipality would collect the housing fee of 5 per cent of the rent amount by adding it to the Dewa bill.

The housing fee is not a new fee on the new areas in Dubai. In 2005, Dubai Municipality and Dewa started imposing this fee on all new rent contracts in the emirate.

“For example, all the new tenants who approached Dewa to get new connection in their flats and villas were charged the housing fee which was added to their Dewa bill.

The new thing which we started now is to impose the housing fee on all the flats and villas which received connection before the year 2005.”

He pointed out that there is no deadline for the registration of the housing fee system.

“We work with Dewa and it has divided the emirate into different zones and according to that, it sends the registration reminder to each zone in different months,” he said.

He added that from the time a person receives the notice, he or she has the period of one month to register in the system.

“Thos who don’t come forward and register within one month, the housing fee will be then charged as per the estimated rents in the Real Estate Index issued by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency,” he said.

He pointed out that nationals are exempted from paying the housing fees.

“This fee is not applied on nationals. This is done automatically because nationals have different code with Dewa.

That is why they will not be charged, or receive any reminder to register. If by mistake they get charged, they should go to Dewa with their passport copy and the fee will be removed.”

He added that registration to the housing fee is free of charges.
 

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