UAE | General

Landlords shut door on Filipinos in Dubai

Pinoys allege discrimination after being turned away by realty agents on overcrowding, ‘smelly' food complaints

By Jay B. Hilotin, Chief reporter
Published: 00:00 January 19, 2012

Landlords shut door on filipinos in Dubai

Image Credit: Gulf News Archives
Landlords say Filipinos tend overcrowded rooms and their food has a strong odour which does not go down well with other residents. Photo for illustrative purposes only.

DUBAI: Filipinos allege that real estate agents are refusing to rent out apartments to them in certain Dubai buildings and areas - and their dried fish delicacy is partly to blame.

A Filipino couple looking for a new unit told XPRESS they were shocked when watchmen in two Karama buildings told them about an unwritten no-leasing-to-Filipinos rule by landlords.

“

We were looking to upgrade from our studio flat to a one-bedroom unit. On at least two occasions, the watchmen told us bluntly we were not welcome to their building

”

Rey, 34, Civil Engineer

Rey and Cynthia Alfonso, who have a one-year-old child, rang up numbers posted next to "To Let" signs, only to end up disheartened. "We were looking to upgrade from our studio flat to a one-bedroom unit. On at least two occasions, the watchmen told us bluntly we were not welcome to their building," said Rey, 34, who works as a civil engineer building skyscrapers for a major UAE-based contractor.

Prone to overcrowding

"They told us Filipinos are prone to overcrowding.

"It's not fair because it's a false generalisation. In reality, no one wants to live in an overcrowded place," said Alfonso.

Besides overcrowding, Filipinos - one of the emirate's biggest Asian communities - are also being shunted out for allegedly cooking foul-smelling food.

Kumar, an Indian real estate agent for an International City property, explained it quite politely. "There's this one particular dried fish Filipino delicacy. I cannot blame them if they cook it and it's one of their favourite dishes. Even we Indians have some food that other people can't bear. But my landlord says this is one reason why Filipinos are not welcome in his building."

"Some residents specifically look for buildings where there are no Filipinos to avoid the smell of dried fish fouling up their rooms, especially in centrally cooled buildings," said Kumar, referring to "tuyo" (dried fish or squid).

Ironically, even some Filipinos find it disgusting as the smell tends to linger and sticks to clothes.

"Either I follow my owner's orders or I'm out," said Saeed, a building watchman in Deira.

Bagharam, an Indian watchman in Karama, said a two-bedroom unit in his building is rented out for Dh60,000. "But for Filipinos and Arabs, the same unit goes for Dh80,000."

The reason? "With Filipinos, you find 20 of them in a two-bedroom unit. Don't blame my landlord."

Saeed, a property agent leasing units in Deira, said the building owner gave him specific orders not to take Filipinos, Chinese and Vietnamese as tenants.

A section of the Filipino community attributes the discrimination to a cultural gap.

"To a certain extent, it's [overcrowding among Filipinos] true," said Alice, a mother of two from Bicol province who works as an accountant with a multinational. "But we're not the only ones doing it. You go to the Marina and you find western expatriates in a similar situation."

She said it is within the right of building managers to screen and know who their tenants are. "Landlords must also protect their assets."

Alan Bacason, head of the Filipino Community Council, which groups around 50 regional language and hobby groups of Filipinos in Dubai and the northern emirates, said the unwritten discrimination runs against the multi-cultural and cosmopolitan nature of Dubai.

"I believe it comes down to cultural differences or preferences. When it comes to food, the feeling is mutual … there are certain foods from other cultures we find repugnant. But it's no big deal for us. We just take it."

Bacason, a HR professional, said: "Those of us who work abroad must find ways to save money so we're able to provide for our families back home," said

For some the rejections come with painful frankness - if not insults. "Most of us try to live spartan lives overseas to provide for our families at home. No one wants to live in a cramped place. But even if we do find ourselves in such a situation, we are still able to find happiness in a situation that may seem sad to others."

But in an oversupply market, not every agent can choose their tenants or neighbours. At the International City and mid-range units at Discovery Gardens and Barsha, numerous properties are advertised. Real estate agent Yasser, an Asian, said all renters are welcome - whether they are families or bachelors.

Sharing allowed

Unrelated people sharing flats is allowed, but Dubai Municipality strictly enforces the one-family-one-villa rule. Inspectors of Trakhees, the building safety regulator in Tecom areas, allows one person per 200 square feet of living space. Violators can be fined Dh1,000 to Dh50,000.

Comments (38)

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Added 14:07 January 19, 2012

A way of living of a certain community, race or nationality should not be dealt in general. Occasionally we Filipinos tend to cook this particular dish, but not 24/7. If an incident is being cited by the lanlord as a repetitive situation then I feel sorry for him for being closed-minded. Cost of living is one way why we Filipinos are trying to live as a pack or a group but in the end we just try to earn a living . Let's be more positive in this and accept that the UAE and Dubai in general is comprised of different nationalities and lets respect them as human beings and not judge them beacuse of what they eat or how they live their lives.

Anonymous, Abu dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 14:02 January 19, 2012

But you have to consider the salary an average Filipino working in Dubai receives. No one wants to live in a home without privacy. In an overcrowded place, you risk your safety - this should be the only reason why you prevent overcrowding. Anything else, like everything stated in this article, is clearly discrimination. The smell of food? Then why are people with strong body odor not banned in public areas? It still boils down to the salary some Filipinos (or other nationalities) receive, which sadly will not suffice renting a flat on his own.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:12 January 19, 2012

A cramped place means cheaper rent. How can you expect a low earning expat pay for a room which costs more that his monthly salary? It is just living within their means and there are also greedy flat owners who makes business taking advantage of low earners, saying they are just helping them out by renting such cramped spaces.

lala, dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 11:56 January 19, 2012

I've shared this link on my Facebook. And this is the description I added to the link: "The truth is, much like in any other country, it's a bit of a roulette, there are winners and there are losers - within any nationality or race. Unfortunately, despite a large 'multicultural' population here, there are no laws protecting residents against racial and/or nationality discrimination. We all like and hate/misunderstand some things in each nationality. Let's be honest about that. So why do we let ourselves be slave to stereotypes we have made of each other?"

Precious, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 11:26 January 19, 2012

Just a proper exhaust will solve the problem.. No need for such discrimination.. Just a matter of RESPECT..!!

Anonymous, dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 11:15 January 19, 2012

No matter from which country you belong, each one has some foods that smell quite strong... for that you cannot blame one community. After all, all are human beings.. It is unfair to say, no accommation only on the basis of smelly food.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 11:12 January 19, 2012

Low Cost Housing - a solution that must be taken seriously.

Otilia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 10:42 January 19, 2012

Being a Filipino myself, it hurts to hear that we we're singled out from a multitude of nationalities. It's not only our problem but to be fair to other nationalities it is their problem as well. This article is only the tip of the iceberg. There's more stories out there of flat-out discrimination. The goverment needs to be aware of this.

Anonymous, Dubai, Philippines

Added 10:17 January 19, 2012

That is mean! Enforcing a rule of maximum number of tenants in a rented unit is fair, but people cannot be victimized because of their food. Unfortunately this is the reality. Keep a cool head and try elsewhere.

NP, rak, United Arab Emirates

Added 10:12 January 19, 2012

I don't think it's about the food that they don't agree. The smell of the food will always be dispersed thru air fresheners or just open the kitchen window. It's just sad to think that there are still some people who cannot accept the reality.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates