Crackdown on overcrowding of apartments in Dubai area

  DUBAI – Inspections were underway in International City in Dubai on Monday (August 1) as Trakhees personnel went door to door to check apartment units flagged for overcrowding. Trakhees is the regulatory agency for freehold properties and businesses in special development zones and areas and is the authority handling complaints on overcrowding. According to Trakhees rules, only one person per 200 square feet is allowed to occupy an apartment — or a maximum of three tenants per studio apartment and five per one-bedroom apartment. “I saw Trakhees inspectors in khandoura check my neighbour’s apartment. The occupants let the inspectors in. There were three inspectors wearing IDs and they took photos,” a resident, who did not wish to be identified, told ExpatMedia.Net. “They also checked on the apartment of another neighbour, but it seemed no one was at home so they pinned a notice paper outside the door,” the resident said. Lucy R., a homeowner, welcomed the latest Trakhees inspections. “I think it is great that they have carried out inspections to crack down on overcrowding. The problem really has a domino effect on all residents here. Safety is one thing. I used to have neighbours who almost burned down their overcrowded apartment. They have since been evicted by Trakhees,” Lucy said. “I also look at overcrowding as one of the reasons why I can barely find parking space here as early as 8 p.m.,” she said, “but that’s not just the problem. I get fined by the police as well for illegal parking. But what can I do? There’s just no available parking space.” Peramul, a building watchman in the residential area, said he accompanied the inspectors as they served notices to certain tenants in the Trakhees watchlist on Monday. “Too many bachelors in one small apartment. Big problem. Too much kachara (garbage)," Peramul said, adding that he often spots the occupants throwing garbage in corridors or destroying the automatic access system of the entrance doors since many of them do not have access cards to the building. “I keep on calling for repairs,” he said. Nakheel has tried to curb the problem of overcrowding by introducing access cards for tenants, issuing a maximum of two cards for tenants of a studio apartment. The developer has also repeatedly reminded residents of International City to cooperate with Trakhees and to report to the authority any incident of overcrowding.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