No new housing fee in Dubai

Dubai Municipality has denied it has introduced any new housing fee on citizens and expatriates and dismissed as rumour spread through BlackBerry devices.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the civic body said it had received numerous calls from the public enquiring about the imposition of new housing fee.

“The news is not true. The Municipality  has imposed housing fees on all tenants of non-citizens since 1962,” the statement said.

“However, it has recently launched a project called integrated e-transformation system through which public can pay the housing fee along with the bill of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa). Before, it used to be through the Department of Economic Development when renewing licences as well as through the lease contracts of the Dubai Real Estate Department,” the statement added.

The Municipality also clarified that the housing fee is the fee for services accounted for 5 per cent of the rental value of the unit leased or owned by non-citizens.

These fees are for services provided by Dubai Municipality for residents in the Emirate of Dubai, except the citizens.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.