ABU DHABI // Pakistani expatriate Kabir may have to send his family home after municipality warnings compelled him to move out of shared accommodation.
The 30-year old previously lived with his wife and two children in a villa he shared with three other families and the landlord.
After hearing that these living arrangements were illegal under Abu Dhabi Municipality rules, he decided to move out.
Kabir, who works in a bank where he earns Dh13,000, is now living in a two-bedroom apartment in Al Falah Street, where the rent is more than double what he was paying.
“I am in a difficult position now,” he said.
“Independent accommodation is very expensive here. I am in a major debt and hence not sure If I can continue to live like this.”
He said there were so many people like him whose financial and family plans had been disrupted by the residential rules.
Kabir believed the authorities should consider creating budget accommodation specifically for white-collar workers on medium incomes.
“A decent family living in a good neighbourhood is the dream of every mid-income worker in UAE who doesn’t want to leave their family back home all alone,” he said.
Abu Dhabi Municipality laws state that any residential unit, whether it be villa or apartment, can only be occupied by a single family or a maximum of three bachelors.
Anyone who breaks these rules can be fined up to Dh100,000 for the first offence and Dh200,000 for the second.
Earlier this year, the authority launched a campaign called No to Mass Accommodation, Together we Ensure Superior Quality of Life for Residents to clamp down on illegally shared accommodation.
During its first phase, inspectors visited properties to ensure they were not overcrowded.
As a result, 797 legal cases were issued against companies and individuals.
akhaishgi@thenational.ae
