Neighbourhood Watch: Experiencing difficulties when shifting to new home

This is a rather sensitive topic and is aimed to enlighten those who are in the process of moving to a new apartment or villa. All too often we experience an unexpected and unwelcome delay in the completion of a new property, literally days or hours before we are due to move in.

One of the many problems associated with moving from one apartment to the next, is exacting the coordination. The problem is particularly compounded if the new residence is not completed on time and your current residence has already been committed to a new tenant.

Unless you are in possession of a signed lease with a specific starting date, there is little recourse other than to negotiate for either remuneration of deposit and commission, or to request a grace period on your current lease.

Generally, the new landlord will not take financial responsibility for expenses such as hotel bills and storage as a result of delays in completion.

This is a situation that happens anywhere in the world and with any given construction project and Dubai is no exception. It calls for immediate attention, as all too often the agents have irate clients demanding payment or reimbursement for damages and out of pocket expenses incurred.

As the middle-party, the agent can only use his judgment based on experience when predicting completion dates. It is a regular occurrence that the advised timeframe is grossly inaccurate and agents have learned to add a month or so from the expected date of delivery, in order to try and save new tenants added anguish.

A common reason for delay can be attributed to the owner changing his mind and modifying the plan as the property is being built. Being the owner and client, understandably his direction must be taken. I once talked of 'sketching in concrete and erasing with a jackhammer' as being a common scenario.

Even the simplest of changes have a ripple effect, through to the oblivious new tenant who is already fraught with the mounting relocation costs.

Moving house is a well-known cause of stress and life doesn't begin and flow freely the day one moves. Closing down a previous property has all the emotions, pitfalls and delays as it has moving into a new one.

An unexpected delay creates havoc with tight budgets that are painstakingly planned and prepared for by the new tenant. Agents understand and recognise the concerns and dilemmas that both the contractor and the tenant face, yet they act merely as the mediator, not the decision maker.

To summarise, if you are planning to rent a new residence, it is wise to clarify and prepare for these issues in advance and ensure you have contingencies in place. Blaming the landlord, the agent, the contractor or the consultant is generally ineffective and often counter productive.

It may be more viable to perhaps sacrifice an extra months rent, than to suffer the associated stress and expense. Just remember, no one will take the responsibility of guaranteeing you a move-in date on a new property.

The author is the managing director of Dubai-based Better Homes LLC. Your views and questions can be sent to Gulf News, PO Box 6519, Dubai. Fax: 3441627. E-mail - editorial@gulf-news.com