Evicted Sharjah tenants were given notice and should not have been living in residential tower, says municipality

Officials say most of the construction workers had no valid residency visas – and that labourers are banned from such accommodation

Tenants of a Sharjah residential building were evicted by municipal officials for not paying their rent, the municipality said. The National

Most of the residents of a Sharjah tower who were evicted by municipal officials last week had been given warning a month earlier and should not have been living in the building, the emirate's municipality has said.

Officials acting on a court order said municipal officials cleared 15 workers from the building.

As The National reported last week, the building was overcrowded and hundreds were seen in the street around the area after municipal workers entered.

Officials denied that hundreds, mostly construction workers, were evicted by its personnel but said they should not have been living in the building regardless.

The action took place after an Emirati man, who bought the building in December last year, won a rental lawsuit against the tenants for not paying their rent.

"The municipality did not evacuate the building directly without prior warning", the municipality said on Wednesday.

"Workers were notified of the eviction order on May 22, 2018. A poster was placed in the building one month in advance, but workers did not comply and yet were given an additional week to leave. However, they did not, forcing the municipality to implement the court's decision.

"The building, and the entire area where it is located, prohibits worker housing.

"Moreover, most of the workers were in violation of the country’s residency law."

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