Rent talks grow angry as tenants demand cap

Sharjah: Angry scenes erupted between Sharjah Municipality's legal consultants and tenants at an open meeting on the introduction of a rent cap.

The session was aimed at informing landlords and well as tenants on the the tenancy law issued in 2007.

While the legal consultants were defending the landlords and their interests, the tenants demanded an introduction of a rent cap.

The tenants were also upset over the absence of landlords in the open session.

According to Law no. 2 of 2007, landlords are not allowed to increase the rent during the first three years of the initial tenancy contract, and that the rate of rent is determined by the market value.

Hassan Mustafa, Director of the Legal Office at Sharjah Amiri Court, said the law can be easily amended if it's not achieving the fairness for both sides - the tenants and landlords.

"Since 1977, the rent law has been amended six times and officials said it will be amended as and when it is required in the future," said Mustafa.

Ahmad Mohammad, one of the tenants who attended the session, said that some of the tenants were waiting for the rent cap to come into effect.

Ali Ebrahim, another tenant attendee at the session, said that rent cap law has succeeded in other emirates as Abu Dhabi and Dubai and all residents are content with its results.

The Sharjah Municipality statistics shows that the number of tenancy disputes has increased this year, the number of cases reaching 967.