By Parag Deulgaonkar

Although the Dubai Municipality’s drive to get bachelors out of family residential areas has been continuing for some time now, the civic body has now initiated the “eviction drive” through social media.

On Sunday, it tweeted saying, “Bachelors and multi-family housing has an adverse impact on residential neighbourhoods.”

The three adverse impacts, it said, would be on the region’s infrastructure (sewage networks, electricity grids, parking); the society (customs and traditions) and the life span of the houses (parallax distortion urban aesthetic).

In March 2016, the civic body said it was inspecting areas to remove bachelors from residential areas and were urging residents to notify the authority if they spot bachelors living in off-limit areas.

“Please call us on 800900 to maintain safety and security,” it said.

Emirates 24|7 has reported earlier that the inspections are random and not limited to when people complain of bachelors or families sharing homes. The fine is Dh10 per square feet (minimum fine is Dh1,000 and maximum of Dh50,000) with the person who leased (owner/tenant) responsible to pay the fine. Moreover, companies are not allowed to lease properties for staff accommodation in family areas.

A municipality official had told this website last year that almost 80 per cent of the villas in the old residential areas such as Al Beda’a, Al Jafeleya, Jumeirah 1, Al Rashidiya, etc., were being leased to bachelors or sharing families.

Even Trakhees, the regulatory authority for the freehold areas such as Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Discovery Gardens, International City, has held campaigns to stop overcrowding in apartments.

Bachelors, white collar workers, are confused on where they can rent apartments.

“We have seen pamphlets earlier that adviced bachelors and families not to share apartments. I earn a decent salary and can afford to rent a studio to one-bedroom apartment on my own. I am not causing any nuisance to my neighbours or overcrowding by sharing,” said Sameer K, who shares a one-bed apartment with two others in Discovery Gardens.

The maximum allowable occupancy limit for apartments under Trakhees is one person per 200 square feet from the total property area, with violators facing a minimum fine of Dh1,000 or a maximum of Dh50,000.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.