Dubai Land Department issues new relief measures for tenants, landlords

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) through its regulatory arm, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), has announced a new CSR initiative called Together, in cooperation with several jointly owned property (JOP) management companies in Dubai to support tenants and landlords coping with the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

RERA and its partners will provide necessary life supplies free of charge to those in need in many projects and freehold areas across the emirate.

The materials which will be donated include food, medicines, sterilisation materials, gloves, paper napkins and face masks, reported official news agency WAM.

Plans for companies to provide emergency maintenance and sterilisation services within residential units and complexes are also being drawn up as part of this initiative.

Furthermore, the companies will consider additional measures including the cancellation of fines for 2019 and 2020, the provision of flexible instalments to pay service fees, the reduction of service costs, and also offering a flexible payment option for air conditioning services.

“In these exceptional global circumstances, everyone is expected to show solidarity and cooperation. JOP management companies and developers seek to show the highest degree of care and understanding of the current situation and the consequences that may result from it that burden people,” said Marwan bin Ghalita, CEO of RERA.

“We take pride in our ability to attract a large number of supporters of this initiative to relieve the owners of freehold areas, provide the necessary needs and distribute them, and conduct the necessary maintenance by companies that volunteered with us,” he added.

A number of companies have already stepped up to offer economic relief measures to tenants in Dubai.

Nakheel announced a Dhs230m package that includes free rental periods for retail and hospitality partners which operate within its malls, including at Ibn Battuta Mall, Dragon Mart 1 and 2, and The Pointe, among others.

Read: Dubai developer Nakheel announces Dhs230m relief package, offers rent waivers

Nakheel will waive administration charges across various services for three months, and will also reduce district cooling charges by 10 per cent for three months for commercial and residential customers.

UAE-based conglomerate Al-Futtaim Group also pledged a Dhs100m fund to offer up to three months’ worth of rental relief to eligible tenants across its malls including Dubai Festival City Mall and the Festival Plaza mall, it announced on March 19.

Read: UAE’s Al-Futtaim to provide mall tenants three-month free occupancy

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Judicial Council, has also issued a directive to suspend eviction judgments relating to residential and commercial properties in Dubai.

Read: Dubai suspends all residential and commercial property evictions