UAE: Owners and developers bear the costs of repairing damage from extreme weather.

housesinDubaiandSharjahare now busy restoring services to tenants and bringing their properties back to pre-flood levels. Many tenants in Dubai and Sharjah, affected by last week's extreme weather, are rebuilding in theirhouses. The largestdevelopers DubaiThe Dubai Investment Park, such as Emaar Properties, MAG, Damac Properties, Nakheel, Dubai Holding, Union Properties and Dubai Investment Park are offering free services to tenants affected by the floods. Residents of major freehold areas in Dubai such as Business Bay, Downtown, Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), Jumeirah Lake Towers, International City, Palm Jumeirah, Damac Hills, Dubai Marina, Mudon, Discovery Gardens, Remraam, Arabian Ranches and many others will benefit from government and private supported initiativesdevelopers.

Support for tenants

Owners are required by law to provide maintenance for their property unless otherwise stated in the lease. In Sharjah, a majordeveloperArada also announced extensive support programs for affected citizens. Arada cooperates with the Ministry of Social WelfareSharjahto provide shelter for up to 3,000 flood victims to be housed in the Nest compound in Aljad. Priority is being given to vulnerable members of society, particularly children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

The relocation is being done in phases, with the first families moving in on Monday, April 22.

Consequences of floods

The UAE recorded the highest rainfall in 75 years on April 16, causing flooding in many areas of Dubai, Sharjah and theAjman. This left many tenants without electricity and water. According to industry representativesreal estate, owners in Dubai and Sharjah will incur maximum maintenance costs for their properties due to flooding after record rainfall last week. Owners are now busy restoring services and bringing their properties back to pre-flood levels.

Repair work

Trends show that tenants who are not too severely affected by the effects of a natural disaster are contracting with maintenance companies for repairs. Who will pay for the repairs will be a matter of negotiation between owner and tenant, unless there are special terms in the contract. Assisting the tenant with free months of rent depends on the owner's generosity, insurance coverage, and relationship with the tenant.

Damage repair

Management specialistsreal estatereport a record number of maintenance issues, and all owners are working with the firm to repair the damage. The priority is to get all properties back to normal as quickly as possible.