Landlords can increase the rent only after two years from the date of the first increase, which follows the three-year ‘protection’ period, according to a top Sharjah Municipality official.
Ibrahim Al Madloum, Head of the Executive Office of Sharjah Municipality, said the tenancy law that was issued on June 6, 2007, by the Sharjah Government has not stipulated a cap, but its articles protect the tenants from an annual hike in rents. As per the current law, landlords can increase the rents only after three years from the commencement of the tenancy contract, and only every two years thereafter.
In case a landlord increases the rent before the three-year protection period ends, the tenant should approach the Rent Dispute Committee at the municipality and request a rent payment form for paying the rent to the municipality treasury. He must then notify his landlord to collect the rent from the municipality.
Tenants must approach the municipality 15 days before the completion of the tenancy contract if the landlord refuses to renew it.
Salim Al Kaabi, Director of the Rent Dispute Committee, said the municipality received a large number of complaints from tenants against their landlords for hiking rents annually and before the completion of the protection period. The committee resolves the issue based on the tenancy law issued in 2007, he said, which helps in protecting tenants against illegal increase of rents.
Similarity law
He explained that there is no fixed cap in Sharjah for hiking rents, but is largely based on the ‘similarity law’ — the practice of determining rents as per the prevailing rent rates in the area and taking into consideration the standard of the building, the level of the street on which the building is located, quality of services, age of the building and other services including availability of a swimming pool, gym or parking spaces.
However, one tenant Khaleej Times spoke to said their landlord hiked rents by almost 100 per cent despite the fact that their building is old.
“They don’t adhere to the similarity law, but exploit it. Landlords are demanding higher rents even for old and dilapidated buildings,” said Sharjah resident Younis Al Sayeer.
Some residents complained that landlords are not abiding by the tenancy law; they allegedly force tenants to pay between 30 and 45 per cent more before the completion of three years.
A rent dispute legal advisor said most tenants are unaware of their rights and they can actually lodge complaints with the police against landlords who disconnect electricity supply. Only the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) has the right to disconnect the supply, he added.
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