Zabeel Building Tenants To Meet Officials To Sort Out Eviction Order

Representatives of tenants residing in six-storey Zabeel Building on the Umm Hurair road will be meeting with officials from the civic body and the Dubai International Real Estate today to discuss an eviction order. There are about 250 flats in the building. A notice served to the tenants by the Dubai International Real Estate states that the condition of the building is in dire straits and needs comprehensive maintenance and in order to carry out the repair work tenants are required to vacate the premises. The notice further read: "Bearing in mind that, you stay in the building during the above mentioned period of time is under your full responsibility and Dubai International Real Estate has no responsibility or liability of any accident occurs to anyone or damage due to this. The priority will be given to you in renting the unit you intent to occupy after the completion of maintenance works required according to the rate of the market at the time of leasing.

" Tenants have been given six months to vacate. Majority of them have been living there for more than 25 years, thanks to its prime location and reasonable rent. Many of the tenants said that they would opt to stay in the building instead of moving out. "We received a notice from the municipality's rent dispute committee asking us to attend the discussions at the City Hall and bring along with us a translator so that we could comprehend the proceedings. We were also asked to get with our passport copies and tenant agreement," said a tenant who has been living in the building for the last 28 years. "The authorities say that we need to move out because they want to carry out repair work but according to me the building is fine. All it needs is some fresh paint," he added. Another tenant who has spent 22 years in the building said he pays Dh36,000 in rent for a three bedroom flat.

He said: "I have decided not to move. I am willing to take the responsibility of the dangers that I and my family might come across when the repair work starts. I am also willing to pay a reasonable renewed rent structure." The tenants said that they believe that evicting them in the name of repair work is just an excuse. "The main purpose to give the building a new look and double the rent. These are hard times and there is no guarantee whether jobs are going to be consistent," said a tenant. "The building was never painted even once. I did not see it with my own eyes but we were informed by the building maintenance that a while back a small slab had fallen off from top of the building. But none of us have come across any such thing. We would like to continue to stay in the building and we will place our case in front of the dispute committee. We are sure that the officials will resolve the matter and would not require us to move out," said a tenant. Members of the Rent Dispute Committee were not available for comment before the meeting.