Abu Dhabi: A total of 274 abandoned buildings in the capital have recently been noted by municipal authorities, the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City announced in a statement sent today (February 3).
Their owners are now urged to either maintain them or have them demolished in order to mitigate the risks they pose to public health and safety.
During an ongoing municipal campaign begun in 2015, municipal inspectors noticed that the abandoned structures were infested with pests and rodents, and this could pose public health hazards to nearby residents. Among them, 47 are abandoned homes in Al Shahama, five are public buildings and 49 are farm-based buildings.
A total of 14 landlords were issued violation tickets, while the rest were urged to take urgent action to repair or demolish the structure.
The municipal campaign covered Abu Dhabi island and its suburbs, including Mohammad Bin Zayed City, Khalifa City, Baniyas, Al Shamkha, Al Khatam, Al Wathba, Shakhbout City, Al Shawamekh, Al Nahda, Al Adlah and Al Mua’azaz.
Owners of the abandoned buildings have been given a month’s time to repair or demolish the structures. If this is not complied with, the municipality will undertake proceedings to take down the structure if necessary, and the cost of this demolition must be borne by the owner.
Landlords also risk fines up to Dh20,000 if they do not take care of abandoned buildings, the municipality statement warned.
The municipality regularly deploys teams of inspectors to check buildings. If found abandoned, they are assessed by a technical team to determine whether they are fit for habitation after maintenance or need to be demolished.
