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28 March 2024

Sharing accommodation crackdown in Dubai: Fines up to Dh50,000

Published
By Parag Deulgaonkar

The Dubai Municipality’s has prioritized its effort to get bachelors out of family areas in the emirate.

Figures released to Emirates 24|7 reveals it found more violations of families sharing accommodation than bachelors staying in family designated areas.

The civic body has found 184 violations for families sharing accommodation, while bachelor violations numbered 158 till May 20th this year.

“The number of violations of multiple families was 577 in 2012 and 184 in 2013, while the number of violations of accommodating bachelors in unauthorized planning area was 584 in 2012 and 158 in 2013,” said Jabir Ahmed Abdulla Al Ali - Head of Building Inspection Section, Dubai Municipality.

The inspections are random and not limited to when people complain of bachelors or families sharing homes. The fine is Dh10 per square feet (minimum fine is Dh1,000 and maximum of Dh50,000) with the person who leased (owner/tenant) responsible to pay the fine.

No answer was received from the Municipality on the areas designated for bachelors till the time of publication of this article.

Asked how does the Municipality make sure that the bachelors/families have vacated, Al Ali said: “We ask DEWA to disconnect their services.”

He also emphasized that companies were not allowed to lease properties for staff accommodation in family areas.

Earlier this month, Wam quoted Yusuf Abdullah Al Marzouqi, Acting Director of Buildings Department that the civic body had cracked down many places after field visits in several residential areas in Dubai as many bachelors found staying in residential areas designated for families.

Emirates 24|7 reported on May 9 that Trakhees, the regulatory authority for the freehold areas such as Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Discovery Gardens, International City, was doing daily rounds to stop overcrowding in apartments with nearly 1,310 penalties for overcrowding have been issued since 2010.

The maximum allowable occupancy limit for apartments under Trakhees authority is one person per 200 square feet from the total property area. Violators can face a minimum fine of Dh1,000 or a maximum of Dh50,000.