Thursday 25 September 2008

Share

Share and share alike...

The Dubai Municipality crackdown on sharing accommodation is set to start, sparking widespread alarm and panic in many of the various communities that make up Dubai. And I can't quite make out why.

The initiative has been pretty clearly outlined: Dubai Municipality has long made it plain that it takes a dim view of sub-partitioning rented property. Presumably in response to a recent spate of tragic fire incidents, it has been publicising a crackdown and clearly wants to stop people partitioning villas and apartments in order to sub-let or share with other families/people. So if you've got a three bed villa with six living spaces created in it, then they're going to vacate the premises and issue fines.

It's not about sharing accommodation in the normal sense, where for instance four people share a four-bed villa. That's pretty clear from reporting, including this Gulf News report today.

"The rule does not apply to one person-per-room accommodation, as per building regulations"

A lot of people have been really spooked by the rumour mill going into warp drive on this one. It seems pretty clear that they're worrying needlessly. Unless you know something that I don't...

PS: It could be that a lot of the confusion has been caused by some pretty woeful communications work from DM. SeaBee makes some good comments here!

3 comments:

Em said...

this sounds rather reasonable if this is what DM is planning. But yes, they do need better copywriters!

Seabee said...

'Woeful communications' is sadly par for the course.

If only they would think things through before making sudden announcements, then communicate them in a clear and precise way.

Even in the article you refer to there's a contradiction:

The rule does apply to: More than one family residing per villa, sometimes with no tenancy contract

The rule does not apply to one person-per-room accommodation, as per building regulations


Two families could be, and many are, sharing a large villa with their own rooms, no illegal partioning and no overcrowding.

nzm said...

Off topic, but you must do the food meme - Jayne, Keefie, Grumpy and I have all done it!

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