Rent control a 'practical solution to phenomenon of partitioned villas'

Some members of the Central Municipal Council (CMC) recently felt that the rise in rent for housing units has been the main reason for the continuation of the phenomenon of partitioned villas, stressing that rent control is a "practical solution" to this issue.

The trend has grown and reached places beyond Doha despite the measures taken by the competent authorities to prevent the partitioning of villas, they observed.The CMC members told local Arabic daily Arrayah that the provision of housing units at low rents will have a direct impact on the phenomenon of partitioned villas, especially as families prefer housing that provides privacy at a low rent. This will compel the owners of partitioned villas to rectify the status of their properties and rent them out in accordance with the law without committing any violations.Jaber al-Suwaidi, a CMC member, noted that the phenomenon of partitioning villas has been going on for nearly 20 years. It has spread considerably and caused damage to the infrastructure, in the absence of alternative housing facilities available at lower rents.He said: "A high residential rent weighs on the head of the family who has to spend a large sum of money on housing. This forces him to resort to living in partitioned villas, which cost less. Every family prefers its independence, which the divided villas deprive them of, and there is also the lack of privacy."Providing housing complexes with low rent will significantly and directly impact this phenomenon. This will force the owners of partitioned villas to settle their conditions and rent them out according to what the law stipulates without any violations." Al-Suwaidi said partitioning consists of dividing villas with wooden or other materials, in violation of the original architectural plan, in order to house more than one family. "However, if the owners are allowed to divide villas into, for example, three sections for three families - a ground floor, an upper floor and an external annex - there will be no partitioning. Currently, there is clear violation in terms of sub-renting."Nayef al-Ahbabi, another member of the CMC, also stressed the importance of providing low-rent housing to curb the phenomenon of partitioned villas in various municipalities. The rise in rents is the main reason for the continuation of the phenomenon (of partitioned villas) and the absence of alternatives will contribute to its continuation, he felt.Al-Ahbabi said: "The rent of regular apartments can be as much as 60-80% of a person's salary. Therefore, he will not be able to pay the rent, along with the electricity bill, and also meet other expenses such as those incurred on school fees, food, etc. Hence, he will look for the place with the lowest rent."CMC member Khalaf al-Kaabi called on the competent authorities to come up with procedures and conditions to allow the legal partitioning of villas while ensuring privacy and safety. This will also help bring down rents, he felt.He said, "It is not possible to eliminate this phenomenon without providing radical solutions and adapting to the situation to suit families, especiallythose that cannot live in apartments and pay high rents. If we provide an opportunity to (legally) partition villas, rents will drop dramatically. For example, if we divide 200 villas into four sections each and make them available at a specific rent according to the geographical location, we will provide 800 housing units to accommodate 800 families. The rent will drop for various residential properties. "Also, an owner will not resort to partitioning if the number of tenants decreases as they will have more alternatives. The phenomenon of dividing villas is widespread in many municipalities and is not limited to one area. Thus, solutions must be discussed and implemented before thinking about toughening penalties and increasing fines."Mohamed Zafar al-Hajri, another council member, highlighted the importance of linking the renewal of residency to lease and electricity contracts in the name of each individual. As the partitioned villas follow the sub-contracting system, this will force each individual to rent from a unit that provides a contract and has its own electricity number. Therefore, the owners of partitioned villas will not find anyone to rent them out to.