Abu Dhabi residents praise move to increase tenancy protection

Dubai: Reg Cucal, a Gulf News reader, looked for the right apartment for three months when he came to the UAE two years ago. However, he was in for a rude shock when after living there for just five months, he was asked to vacate the flat.

"... I had to take whichever flat I could as I was just given a month's notice," the 49-year-old Filipino said.

The recent decision by the Abu Dhabi Government to extend the legal protection period covering tenancy contracts to five years was met with much reliefs.

Cucal said: "It's extremely difficult to look for a new apartment at such short notice, especially one that fits your budget."

Mourad Lassoued, a 38-year-old Tunisian expatriate, agreed.

"People should definitely be given a better chance to look for alternative lodging as they have to look at their budget, too," the school teacher said.

Lassoued said his friend was recently given an eviction notice as the building was being demolished.

His friend was unable to find an alternative flat as most of the apartments available were out of his budget. Lassoued praised the government's announcement, which would bring relief to many residents.

Another Abu Dhabi-based resident who faced a similar problem was Vaddesseril Philip Abraham, a 59-year-old Indian expatriate.

Even though the incident took place over 10 years ago, Abraham still remembers the trouble he faced when he was asked to vacate the flat.

"I was lucky that a newly constructed building was available right next to my house. If not, I would have faced a lot of difficulty ...," Abraham said.