Job Discussion Forums

dohablues · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 2 Location: Doha

CC General Middle East

Here is a warning to all would be newcomers to Doha. Make sure your employer provides you with sufficient rent allowance or accomodation and that they WILL pay the difference should rents suddenly increase again. The rent situation is very volatile at the moment and is spiralling way out of control. There have been stories in the paper of landlords who have been increasing rent every other month, people have been forced out of their homes as they are unable to make ends meet. Some people have resorted to sleeping in their cars, sending their families back home; this is especially true for non Westerners eg Indians, other Arab nationals etc. Even those of us like myself who live on compounds are at risk as schools/colleges are now not willing to pay the difference. You are lucky if you find a decent two bedroomed furnished apartment for 7000 QR, it's THAT bad. There also appears to be no control on this kind of increase. A landlord can suddenly increase the rent by at least 50%. You go to the police and what do they do? Nothing! This country is NOT short of money, but why do they do this??

Anybody else have the same problem?

Bindair Dundat · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

It's a good thing to warn people that rents are skyrocketing. It looks to me like a matter of supply and demand. The people being affected are NOT nationals - the people who are getting the rent money ARE nationals. Don't expect a change anytime soon...

New teachers... make sure that your contract provides "paid furnished housing" - not X amount of QR.

VS

mci · Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 56 Location: Oman

And try to expose as much of the unfair increases as possible to the papers and local media. It worked in Dubai and resulted in a royal decree which limited the hikes - not all that much mind you but it is a start.

Too bad that Doha is following in Dubai's footsteps so closely. Perhaps these landlords are just anticipating the Asian games next year and hoping to cash in.

mci

Priscilla QOTD · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Posts: 6 Location: Qatar

Dohablues warning to newcomers needs to be taken seriously. I'm in the process of moving back to company provided accomodation - this very day in fact. I moved out because our accom is share basis, which I found untenable, but my rent just increased 2000 so I have no choice but to return. Consider very carefully before accepting a job here that doesn't provide accomodation or an allowance minimum: 5000 for single, 10,000 for family.

Bindair Dundat · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123

blues clues · Joined: 28 Jul 2004 Posts: 61

Yes, rents have been increasing in Doha and UAE for the past couple of years now. Three years ago, Qatar was for whatever reason using the Asian Games as an excuse for these increases....pretty lame excuse I think. Anyhow, when buildings are owned by locals, Sheikh's that is...it's highly unlikely there'll be much improvement anytime soon. What's been happening is absolutely disgusting. No gov't regulations, as other's stated rents can be increased to whatever the owner chooses...and u can be in your home one day, and literally out the next. It's called greed! After all, they need to find a way to make back the money they've thrown away on their expensive vehicles and bad investments...(they've really gotten into the stock markets). I also feel really sorry for those who are not receiving housing allowances from companies, particularly Arabs from places like Palestine, people who's hard work built Qatar. Qatari's seem to forget this. At the same time, when you've got rich oil companies paying a whole lot of money for salaries and insanely high housing allowances, I guess it'd be difficult to say no.
By the way, I'm not Muslim, but considering they seem to think gambling is "harem", is buying stocks considered ok? just a thought.

dohablues · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 2 Location: Doha

Its greed which is gripping the whole nation. Like you say they spend hundreds of thousands $ on cars, houses etc at the expense of people who come from places like India, Philipines and other Arab countries who have to use 3/4 of their salary to pay for the rent. Most of these landlords have shown NO MERCY when people are unable to make ends meet, because of the increase in rent. A lot of people here are thinking of going to work in Oman, UAE or Kuwait............what's happening here is really disgusting.