a day ago
'35 people in a room': Dubai families battle noise, overcrowding from illegal sharing
For Azeem and his family, their apartment near the Deira Twin Towers has been more than just a home. They have lived there for over 25 years, watched their children grow, and their business is just a few streets away. However, more recently, life in the building has changed due to the room-sharing practices.
"There are flats where more than 35 people live,' said Azeem, mentioning that the building was once one of the most sought-after in the neighbourhood. 'We love this place. The rooms are spacious, the area has that old Dubai charm, and everything is in the vicinity.
"But after Covid-19, many flats in the building have been filled with partitions. Some flats have more than 30 people. We have raised complaints multiple times to the building management, but there's little improvement."
To manage the crowd, the building installed an entry system where each flat is issued only three access cards. "So when we have guests, they have to wait outside the main entrance until someone exits and opens the door from inside. It's embarrassing," said Azeem.
Lift delays and daily struggles
The worst part, residents say, is the long wait for elevators. "Sometimes it takes 10 to 15 minutes to get the lift," said Azeem. "It stops at every floor. The building wasn't designed for this many people."
Despite the several issues, the family continued to stay because of the emotional connection and the convenience of the locality. "We cannot imagine living anywhere else. Everything we need is nearby, and we have been here too long to start over."
Overflowing building, growing tension
A few residents of another building in Deira said that overcrowding in their building has led to frequent arguments, longer wait times for the lift, and growing sanitation problems.
"There's garbage dumped in stairways and corridors," said one resident. "The smell is unbearable in some areas, and the atmosphere just doesn't feel safe anymore, especially for our children."
They added that what was once considered one of the best residential buildings in the area has now become a source of frustration. "People smoke and drink in the corridor. Every day we have an argument with our neighbours because of loud music. We are really happy if the authorities come up with some regulation for partition and bed-space accommodation."
'It feels like a hostel, not a home anymore'
In another building near Union Metro Station, families are dealing with a different kind of stress, noise, nuisance, and safety concerns.
"We have had neighbours who play loud music at night, talk loudly in the corridors, and even indulge in vices,' said Hiba (name changed), a mother of two. "Our children wake up at night because of the shouting. I have had to talk to them more than once, but they don't care."
Her husband added that guests are sometimes uncomfortable even entering the building. "People stand around in the corridors at all hours. It feels like a hostel, not how things used to be. This was a quiet, respectable building."
Landlords-partition operators team up
Several residents also claimed that landlords themselves are handing over flats to real estate agents or tenants who run partitioned spaces or rent bed spaces to maximise income.
"It's not always done behind their back," said Naveen, a Deira resident. "Some landlords know that agents will turn the 2BHK into 8-10 cubicles and fill it with 15 to 20 people. But they agree because they get Dh8,000 to Dh10,000 in rent instead of Dh6,000 from a family."
