Tenants of a villa complex in Abu Dhabi have been left fuming without water and electricity since the last four days.
About 10 expat families, including Indians, Sri Lankan, Egyptians and Filipinos, say they had just moved into the villa located in Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Zone 17 when the power was cut off.
They also received a notification from an Emirati owner of the villa saying that they must vacate the villa despite the fact that they had paid a full year’s rent to a real estate agent, who also gave them rental contracts from after receiving cash from them.
“We have been in the dark for four days now after the electricity was cut off in the villa,” Saurabh Misra, 34 a resident said.
“It’s really very difficult to stay in the house without air conditioners during this hot weather. My child cries every day because of the heat.”
Misra said he shifted to the villa with his wife and their five-year-old boy towards the end of last week after paying the house rent for a full year.
“My house contract started on July 1,” he said.
The Indian expat says he paid Salem, the real estate agent, Dh40,000 for his one-bedroom apartment electricity and water inclusive.
“I was shocked when electricity was cut off just a day after I had just moved in with my family. Later me and all other tenants — 10 families — were told by the landlord that we are supposed to move out the villa,” said Misra, a sales manager of a fish trading company in Abu Dhabi.
He said they have tried to reach Salem to whom they paid money but he doesn’t pick up his phone.
Another tenant, Hameed Ali, an Indian expat, says he paid the real estate agent a total of Dh39,000, including rent of Dh35,000, Dh2,000 agent’s fee and a security deposit of Dh2,000 for his one-bedroom apartment.
“We have endured the hot conditions for four days now. This is really unfair after we had paid for everything. My wife now goes along with our two children to our friends near our old residence during the day because they can’t stay in the hot house.”
“Now we are being told by the villa owner to vacate the houses. We need help because we don’t know where to go now after paying the full rent.”
The owner of the villa, Hamad Rashid Al Mansoori, said that Salem had illegally rented the villa to these families because his lease agreement with him was cancelled.
“Salem illegally collected money from the tenants. I had leased him the villa for the purpose of operating a hospital in it and not for tenants,” said Al Mansoori.
“My lease agreement with him had ended. The tenants have no right to stay in that villa because when the municipality finds them there, I will be fined. They have to collect their money from Salem.”
The tenants said they have reported the matter to police and have been advised to file their complaint with them with proof of signed housing contracts.
They also hired a lawyer who filed a case for them at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and requested for the reconnection of the electricity in the villa. However, the power had not been reconnected by Monday afternoon.
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