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Don’t lease your apartment to bachelors: Dubai IOA tells owners

Those not complying will be refused permission to move in: IOA

An interim owners association (IOA) in Dubai has informed unit owners not to lease their apartments to bachelors, Emirates 24|7 can reveal.

“Bachelor accommodation is not permitted in the building. Anyone not complying will be refused permission to move in,” reads the email sent by an IOA to an apartment owner in Tecom.

Though a real estate agent says he has come across IOAs imposing restrictions when leasing to bachelors, there has never been a ‘total’ ban.

“We are of the understanding they are yet to get powered to issue such directives. As per definition the owners association is responsible for the management, monitoring and maintenance of the common areas in a jointly owned property,” says Parvees Gafur, Chief Executive Officer, PropSquare Real Estate.

“The tenant choice is at discretion of the owners. In market sense, depending on a ’family’ profile tenant could end up as a rent loss period to landlord till he finds the right tenant. A mortgage on the property, service charges recurring, could add pressure to landlords to get quicker tenancies,” he adds.

Last year, a Dubai government department announced it was effectively executing the law of categorizing areas and lands in order to move bachelors out from residential areas and prevent sharing family accommodations.

Yusuf Abdullah Al Marzouqi, Acting Director of Buildings Department, Dubai Municipality, was quoted by WAM, stating, 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 has reported that the maximum allowable occupancy limit for apartments under Dubai Municipality and Trakhees, the regulatory authority for the freehold areas such as Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Discovery Gardens, International City, is one person per 200 square feet from the total property area.

Fines, issued by Trakhees, for violations range between Dh1,000 and Dh50,000.