Tenants rush to attest contracts to avoid August 1 fee increase

Residents with contracts expiring at the end of the year also crowd Sharjah Municipality offices

Residents are rushing to renew their tenancy contracts to avoid the increase in attestation fees from August 1.

Yesterday, Sharjah Municipality’s attestation offices were crowded with tenants, even though many of the contracts will only expire at the end of the year. Khalid Al Shamsi, director of the Rent Regulation Department at the municipality, previously told Gulf News that the attestation fees for residential tenancy contracts will increase from 2 per cent to 4 per cent of the annual rent.

Attestation fees for investment contracts will increase from 1 per cent to 3 per cent of the annual rent.

Atiq Siddiqi, who lives in Al Khan area, was one of the many tenants waiting in line.

“The crowd is unbelievable. I find it astonishing that people whose contracts have to be renewed at the end of the year should be allowed in. People whose contracts are expiring this month should be given priority,” he said.

A municipal official confirmed that the rush to renew tenancy contracts will fall significantly by Sunday.

In a bid to alleviate the burden of renewing tenancy contracts, the municipality announced Effective from

landlords and real estate agents will have to adopt the online tenancy renewal system. However, new contracts will still have to be registered and attested on paper at Sharjah Municipality.

1, 2016, September

on Wednesday that within the next two months, it will be mandatory for all concerned parties to carry out the procedure solely online.

Real estate offices in Sharjah told Gulf News that many agents have been using the municipality’s e-services to avoid the rush. “Our branch in Sharjah has been renewing tenancy contracts online for over a year. It is refreshing to know that it will soon be mandatory,” a property manager at Continental Real Estate said.

Another property manager said: “Our staff renew tenancy contracts online. The only reason for agents to visit the municipality was to attest new contracts, or contracts that had significant changes in rent.”

Atiq-Ur-Rehman/Gulf News The Rent Regulation Department at Sharjah Municipality crowded with tenants seeking attestation yesterday.

Courtesy: SLSDA Officials from the Sharjah Labour Standards Development Authority distributing the special summer jackets to workers in the area surrounding the University of Sharjah campus.