Fewer opting to share accommodation illegally in Sharjah

Sharjah: The trend to illegally share accommodation is declining and more apartments are becoming available on the market.

Despite the availability of space and the drop in rents, new buildings in residential areas are still not filling up, especially in Al Ta'awun and Nahda.

"People are still making many inquiries about the availability of apartments but they are not being materialised. There has definitely been a decline in new tenants because many are waiting until April to see if the rents fall further," said a real estate agent who declined to be named.

A two-bedroom apartment in Al Ta'awun that used to cost Dh85,000 per year now costs Dh73,000, and a two-bedroom apartment in Al Rolla dropped from Dh55,000 to Dh40,000 per year.

The municipality has also detected a decline in the number of residents found violating the rules of shared apartments as people are adhering to the rules.

"Last year we were always fining people who were sharing their homes illegally and the numbers were rising every month. But in the last three months, the average number per month has gone down by five per cent," said Mohammad Al Ka'abi, security section manager at Sharjah Municipality.

In 2008, the municipality found 250 apartments that were housing families and bachelors illegally although the number of violators could not be disclosed. In 2007 around 1,400 people were caught sharing accommodation in more than 100 apartments.

"The housing rule in Sharjah states that there can only be up to three people in one room, otherwise they will be categorised as sharing accommodation illegally," he said.

The illegal sharing of accommodation is classified into four sections: white-collar workers, families and labourers, as well as men and women who are not related but living with each other.

Al Ka'abi said when an apartment is raided a fine of Dh500 is imposed for each room, and the tenant who signed the tenancy contract has to write a letter to Sharjah Municipality guaranteeing that the situation will not happen again.

The fine increases to Dh1,000 for shared villas.

If tenants still refuse to evacuate, their electricity and water connections are then cut off.