UAE | General

Car-sleepers beat rising rents

Bachelors have found a novel way to beat the rent rise they live in their cars. The trend seems to be catching on in crowded areas like Satwa, Naif and Deira.

  • By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 February 6, 2006
  • Gulf News

Dubai: Bachelors have found a novel way to beat the rent rise they live in their cars. The trend seems to be catching on in crowded areas like Satwa, Naif and Deira.

The bachelors said that they are being forced to camp out at nights failing to even rent bed space in dingy and cramped residential buildings in the area.

The only establishment charges they need to pay are "house facilities" which, at Dh50 to Dh75 a month, are far below the going rate for bed space, which ranges from Dh300 to Dh500 in those areas.

"One of my friends told me that if I want to grow in Dubai I should have a driving licence [and get a car]," said Dilip Sen, an Indian secretary. Now the licence has led to his home, quite literally.

'I get up as early as 5am and make use of all the house facilities," said Sen, who parks his car in Satwa. "I then head for breakfast in a nearby cafeteria. Getting back from work at four again leads me to the house facilities, depending on access," said Sen.

The house facilities on offer include an area to store their luggage, bathing and washing facilities, and possibly an ironing board with an iron to press their clothes, one bachelor told Gulf News.

He said just as many of his friends, he figures on the waiting lists of many tenants who sub-let rooms or bed spaces to bachelors. But living rough in his car has enabled him to save a little money.

The bachelors said they do not park in the same area twice for fear of being rounded up by the police.

It is illegal for residents to permanently live or sleep in their cars, a police source said. "It is also inadvisable to sleep overnight in their car owing to security reasons," the source added.

But bachelors said economic compulsions left them with no choice other than to camp out.

"At first I found it a bit weird to spend the night in my car but now I am used to it. I have been living like this for five weeks now," said Subhash Dholakia who works in sales.

Dholakia said he used to share a room in Al Ghuasais with a family but a notice from the landlord forced him to leave. He used to pay Dh750 a month as rent.

"Any savings were out of the question as I had invested whatever money I had in taking driving lessons and, ultimately, a second-hand car on loan. I temporarily took shelter with four other friends who stay in Deira. One of them told me of the new trend of availing only house services for bachelors," he said.

A tenant who had sub-let the living room to accommodate nine bachelors and was also providing house services said he saw no other choice but to look for more ways to earn money.

"Most of the people in Naif area have got into the business of providing house services. It's profitable for both the parties," said Gokulnath Motwani.

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