Abu Dhabi: Dh1 million fines to combat residential overcrowding

The Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi continues its campaign titled “Your Home, Your Responsibility” to tackle the issue of residential overcrowding. This initiative aims to underscore the importance of regulating properties and residential units to limit overcrowding and foster a safe living environment that enhances the quality of life across the emirate.

As part of this campaign, Abu Dhabi City Municipality has launched inspection operations targeting overcrowded housing, with the objective of ensuring a safer and more organised residential environment for all.

These efforts fall under the broader awareness campaign “Your Home, Your Responsibility,” which was launched by the Department in March in alignment with the goals of “Year of the Community 2025.” The campaign forms part of the Department’s mandate to improve residents’ quality of life and promote social cohesion.

Municipal teams have clarified that the primary aim of the campaign is not to issue fines, but to raise awareness. This includes issuing warnings to violators, followed by penalties if the overcrowding persists.

The Department has stated that fines for violations start at AED 5,000 and may reach up to AED 1 million.

In an awareness video shared on social media, the Department explained the significance of addressing overcrowding, defined as the occupation of a residential unit by a number of individuals that exceeds the unit’s capacity and the nature of services it is designed to accommodate.

The initiative also seeks to eliminate the negative consequences associated with overcrowding, which compromise safety and public decency, violate established norms, and contradict the principles of public morality in the UAE.

The campaign further aims to raise awareness among tenants about the regulations governing property and residential unit occupancy. Tenants are encouraged to avoid violations by refraining from residing in properties with sub-leasing arrangements.

Residents are urged to rent only in officially registered properties listed in the “Tawtheeq” system and to ensure all vehicles are registered within designated parking areas under the “Mawaqif” system.

The Department has called on all citizens, property owners, and companies to comply with the law by adhering to occupancy limits per residential unit, housing labourers in designated areas away from family neighbourhoods.

The Department has emphasised the importance of fostering a secure and regulated community through legislation and policies that improve quality of life in Abu Dhabi. This includes enforcing the Law on the Regulation of Property and Residential Unit Occupancy, to maintain the emirate’s overall aesthetic and urban standards.

To further elevate living standards and ensure the well-being of all residents, the Department stressed the importance of reporting instances of overcrowding via the “TAMM” platform, recognising this as a social responsibility. It also urged landlords, investors, and tenants to comply with key leasing and occupancy regulations and standards.