Tenants In Dubai Villas Live Rough

A communication gap between landlords and tenants is leading to Dubai Municipality taking the blame for the disconnection of utilities. As a crackdown on multi-occupancy villas continues in various parts of the emirate, tenants are becoming increasingly frustrated. The landlords, they say, did not inform them that utilities were going to be cut off so soon by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa). A Dubai Municipality official told Gulf News it is the responsibility of the landlord to convey the message across to their tenants regarding evictions.

"An eviction notice is served to a landlord if there are illegal partitions erected in the villa in order to rent it out to numerous families," said the official. Dewa has been instructed by the municipality to cut off the utilities to buildings that break building regulations. The Building Inspection Section in the Municipality Buildings Department has been inspecting multi-occupancy villas.

Landlords have been instructed to remove illegal partitions and if they don't comply, are served with disconnection notices.Tenants who are being evicted through disconnection of utilities and are owed rent by landlords, are being instructed to take up their cases with the Rent Dispute Committee at the Municipal Council. About 25 families living in a Mankhool villa got a rude shock when their water and electricity supplies were disconnected without any notice from the landlord, last Tuesday. Seven families in a Rashidiya villa have been living without electricity and water since July 17.