Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Emad Eddin Khalil, Staff Reporter

The Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi (DMT) affirmed that the fine for the participation of more than one family in a housing unit in the emirate is Dhs12,500 and Dhs25,000 in case the violation is repeated within a year.

DMT warned of the dangers of overcrowding or collective housing, where a group of people reside in the housing unit whose size or nature is not commensurate with the number, and therefore it is difficult to provide appropriate services.

An awareness campaign titled “Your residence is your responsibility” has been launched in the cities and regions of the emirate to confront the phenomenon of overpopulation, the DMT indicated.

Inspection campaigns will be also launched during the first quarter of 2023 to monitor violators based on what is stipulated in Law No 8 of 2019 regarding regulating the occupancy of real estate and housing units in Abu Dhabi, according to the DMT.

The DMT explained that administrative penalties and fines ranging from Dhs5,000 up to Dhs1million will be imposed on each case which violates the law and its implementing regulations.

The DMT affirmed that the law adopts and takes into account humanitarian cases when applying it and calls on all citizens, real estate owners, and companies to abide by the law through adhering to the number of individuals per residential unit.

It also stressed the need to house workers in residential areas designated for them, away from family homes.

The DMT called on everyone in Abu Dhabi to cooperate to eliminate this phenomenon, monitor violating cases and report them by calling the Abu Dhabi Government Call Centre on the number “800555.”

Recently, a woman filed a lawsuit against a company demanding it to pay her Dhs300,000 in compensation for the material and moral damage she incurred as a result of not enabling her to obtain her job even after signing the job offer sent by the company.