ABU DHABI // Landlords who want to settle rent disputes will soon be required to use the municipality's property regulatory programme.
Starting on November 1, private landlords and property management companies must have a tenancy contract registered with Tawtheeq before they can make claims with the Rent Disputes Settlement Committee.
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Tawtheeq, the municipality's programme to regulate the emirate's property market, is part of the capital's efforts to strengthen the relationship between tenants and property owners.
Ali Al Hashimi, Tawtheeq's project manager for Abu Dhabi city, said the new requirement would provide another incentive for landlords to sign up.
"Because the majority of disputes are due to a lack of transparency at the time of the transaction, at the time of signing the tenancy contracts, this will ensure that the landlords know they need to register their contracts in order to protect their rights," Mr Al Hashimi said.
All of the capital's leasable properties must register with Tawtheeq, and the system will keep track of all tenancy contracts, which will be standardised. Eventually, tenants and property owners will be able to conduct rental transactions online.
November 1 is also the deadline for the capital's property management companies to register with Tawtheeq. Services, including obtaining parking permits and turning on utilities, will be available only to companies with a registered tenancy contract.
Private landlords will not be required to sign up until February 1, but Mr Al Hashimi said the Rent Disputes Settlement Committee, which is part of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, would begin requiring the contracts next month.
More than 180,000 units and 80 per cent of property management companies have already registered with Tawtheeq.
