Saturday, Jun 11, 2011
Gulf News
Sharjah Residents in Sharjah who have already paid their security deposits to Sewa at the beginning of their rental contracts will not need to fork out more cash, a senior Sewa official told Gulf News.
An error at the Sewa customer service department has led to a blanket distribution of these notices to Sharjah tenants but these were originally intended for customers who had never paid a deposit, said Ebrahim Ebrahim Rashid Al Deemas, deputy director-general of Sewa.
Tenants who have already paid deposits at the beginning of the contract but have been given the notice should head to the customer service department with a copy of their deposit payment and the notice will be cancelled, he said.
The aim of the notices was to get residents with unpaid deposits to pay their dues, Al Deemas said.
In the past few years more people have been moving out of their apartments in search of cheaper rents and this has highlighted the problem of unpaid dues, he said.
In May, Sharjah residents said they found notices on their doorsteps asking them to pay an additional water and electricity deposit within seven days, otherwise they would be disconnected.
Asked how tenants can be expected to pay up to Dh4,500 within a week at the middle or end of the month, Al Deemas said there is some flexibility in the concerned departments and that customers can get longer extensions to pay their dues if they approach Sewa.
However, the notices have angered many Sharjah residents. “It’s very silly, they just want money. There’s nothing fair about this,” said Rose Fernandes, who lives and works in Sharjah.
Responding to such claims by some residents, Al Deemas said: “The aim is not to raise more money, they aim is to protect the rights of Sewa, the landlords and the consumers.”
Asked if the deposit money collection was due to the shortage of power, Al Deemas noted, “We have power, enough power.”
Repeated power failures
Last year Sharjah residents suffered repeated power failures during the intense summer heat. Thousands in densely populated parts of Sharjah, especially the industrial areas, were forced to endure extremely high temperatures indoors and out plus high humidity as air conditioners could not work during the blackouts.
No further comment or updates were available on the situation for this summer.
It’s very silly, they just want money. There’s nothing fair about this.”
By Deena Kamel Yousef?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2011. All rights reserved.
