Dubai Families Eye Lower Rents As New Shared Housing Rules Extend To Them

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) For several Dubai residents, the news of legalised shared accommodation has come as a“huge sigh of relief” and something they are eagerly“looking forward to”.

On Wednesday, Dubai Municipality announced the specifications of its February law that allowed shared accommodation in the emirate. A detailed list of where this will be permitted was published on Thursday and includes Karama, Barsha 1 and Al Riqqa.

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For fitness trainer Muhammed Ashraf, the news was very exciting. He had sent his wife and three-year-old son back to India last year when there was a crackdown on shared accommodation.“We used to live in a sharing villa in Qusais,” he said.“Last year, when the inspections on shared accommodatio became strict, we were asked to move out. Since it was difficult to find a reasonable house at such a short notice, we decide that it was better she returned home.”

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He said that the family was planning to return after Ramadan this year but the regional conflict further delayed their plan.“Now that sharing accommodation has been legalised and the new rules have been announced, I can say that this is the best news of the year,” he said.“I breathed a huge sigh of relief because now hopefully, it will make affordable rental units available. I am very happy about the news.”

The law gives property owners and operators a one-year grace period to regularise their status, with compliance required by September 8, 2027

Legal protection

In January, Filipina expat Mariya lost almost Dh4,000 to an agent who promised a sharing accommodation for her in an apartment in Deira.“The room was supposed to be shared with some other women, and he asked me to pay the full month's rent in advance,” she said.“I moved in and three days later, the landlord asked us to move out because shared accommodation was not allowed and he would get into trouble.”

She said she spent days trying to chase the agent to get her money back but he switched off his phone.“With the new rules, there are no ambiguities and everyone is protected by the law,” she said.“I am glad that Dubai has brought in these new regulations. I am looking forward to seeing it being implemented because it will be beneficial for everyone.”

No more sudden evictions

Indian expat Shehnaz Hussain was given less than a week to shift from her sharing accommodation earlier this year. She welcomed the move, saying that it would help a lot of professionals.

“My friend and I had to move out of our shared accommodation in just five days when the landlord said only families could live there,” she said.

"It was a very stressful period. Now, such sudden evictions wont be possible anymore because there will be clear contracts in place. We will be able to see which buildings are for individuals and which are for families. I think it is a great move.”

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