Rain in the UAE: homeowners in Dubai are rushing to secure funds for repairs to damages.

Dubai: Property Owners' Associationsreal estateand management companies inDubaiconvened emergency meetings to immediately assess the damage caused by theirhousesand residential buildings. These meetings will also look at how available funds can be used to prevent similar risks in the future. The highest priority is to draw up a checklist for damage following the unprecedented rains that hit the UAE - the heaviest in 75 years - throughout yesterday (April 16). Management companiesreal estatesay they will have to use a significant portion of their reserve funds to cover the cost of repairs.

“If there are not enough funds, there will be serious problems,” said one owners association official. “Because there are still problems with many property owners not regularly paying maintenance fees.” Adoption of the new spending would also have to be balanced with current maintenance fees for thehousesand buildings, and with how much property owners contribute to general support. (In Dubai, any changes to maintenance fees must be pre-approved by RERA.)

Waterloggedhouses- is what residents had to contend with yesterday. “I have not been able to get a response from the water tanker trucks to pump out the water and have suffered significant damage to my furniture due to the continued rise in water levels,” says Elizabeth, a villa owner. According to Elizabeth, a villa owner in a premium community, “What is the point of paying such high service charges if even the basic sewage system is not working?”

The problem of ongoing basement flooding remains an ongoing issue and a long-term solution will require significant resources. What can fund management companies do? According to the industry, fund management companies will need additional staff on call to deal with 'immediate problems such as short circuits and flooding of common areas'. Again, funds will need to be available to take on any additional hires. “This would have to be approved by the owners' association board members,” the source said. “Also, damage to common areas cannot be confused with any problems in individualapartmentsbecause the owner of the property should take care of it.”

Water was coming in from the windows, roof and even the walls.

We could not get a response from the maintenance companies and finally had to leaveapartmentas the water level reached the bed. We hope that the cleanup will be done today and only then we will be able to assess the damage - Samia Saeed, a resident of a high-rise cluster in Dubai.

Common area renovations will be the biggest challenge for owner associations. This will require immediate funding to do all the associated work. With such a demand for repair services, there should be some increase in cost when contracts are awarded. Again the question arises, will the property management companies have sufficient funds? Or will they have to turn to owners to provide one-time 'emergency' funds?

Sandbags run out Throughout yesterday, many property owners in the UAE were buying sandbags to protect their properties from water intrusion. Such was the demand that even 'online marketplaces had exhausted their sandbag stocks by midday,' said one property owner.

Another priority that skyscraper developers, property owners and property management companies will face will be how to prevent basement flooding. The necessary equipment must be in place and immediately available to offset any future risks. Residents should also take precautions such as not leaving furniture on balconies and insulating electrical panels. Cases of leakage and water damage again point to the importance of country house insurance. And also to insuring all types of businesses regardless of size - Avinash Babur, CEO of InsuranceMarket.ae

There will also be insurance cost increases that property owners will have to cope with. Since the beginning of the year, premiums for real estate-related insurance have risen appreciably, and this will continue as requests for compensation for recent damages come in. “Property-related insurance costs are likely to continue to rise, especially for basement waterproofing problems and at electrical panels,” says the consultant.