New Abu Dhabi tenant law: More than 3 men cannot share room

Abu Dhabi authorities have told landlords they are allowed to rent their property to bachelors provided a maximum three men are allowed in one room, warning that violators would be deprived of most government services.

The Abu Dhabi Municipality said it had started raiding suspected apartments to ensure compliance with the decision, which it described as a means to ensure discipline in the emirate’s property market and regulate rents for bachelors.

A Municipality official, quoted by the Sharjah-based Arabic language daily Al Khaleej, said bachelor tenants living in one room in an Abu Dhabi apartments would not be granted attestation for their rent contract if they are more than three.

“The Municipality has started to conduct extensive campaigns to inspect apartments housing bachelor men in the emirate to ensure that they comply with  the decision allowing a maximum three men to live in one room,” said Ali Al Hashimi, director of the attestation programme at the Municipality.

“The Municipality will accept any leasing document for attestation provided they respect that decision in line with the 2011 law governing accommodation units.”

He said bachelors have no right to demand any tenancy contract from the landlord if their number exceeds three in one room.

“A maximum three tenants are permitted to demand that contract…tenants who abide by that decision can report any landlords who refuse to give a contract to the grievances section at the Municipality as their refusal violates the existing laws.”

He told the paper that landlords and tenants must respect that decision as many government departments have started to request attested tenancy contracts for their services, including the paid parking company Mawaqif and Daman health services.

Regarding villas, Hashimi said they are all governed by one tenancy contract as a single housing unit, adding that they cannot be divided into separate units for many tenants.

Hashimi said the Municipality had attested more than 100,000 housing units since the attestation programme was launched last year, adding that compulsory attestation of tenancy contracts has become a pre-requisite for services rendered by most public establishments in the emirate of more than two million people.

“The attestation service has become mandatory for all given the Municipality’s keenness to safeguard the rights of tenants and landlords and create an authentic data base for all property owners and tenants,” he said.

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