Beware Pearl Residents - Service Charges!
Hi Fellow Pearl Residents
I feel i need to bring to your attention the situation I have found myself in while settling my tenancy agrement with my landlord.
In March of this year I agreed and signed a tenancy agreement with a locally based middle eastern landlord in Al Sadd for a two bedroom apartment in the Sabban towers, Tower C parcel 6 for 1 year, however due to ANOTHER blatant abuse of the Qatari Employment Law by a British Construction company I was refused NOC when my position within the company was made redundent and so I had to give notice on my tenantcy agreement and other related issue connected to my RP.
The apartment in question was not my first choice and expensive for an un-furnished unit but I had no option due to being let down at the last minute by a Qatari landlord on an apartment in Tower 29 and needed to vacate my previous apartment in another part of The Pearl having given notice a month previous.
In the meeting with my new landlord and the broker the question was asked by the broker on service charges related to the tenancey as the fee was not mentioned in the contract only a discliamer, to which the landlord replied that, at present the fee had not been fixed, although he had it on good authority that this chaarge was to be set at 2500QR a year maximum.
At this point I should have requested the contract be revised to reflect this, however after the landlord ensured me that this would not become an issue I stupidly agreed to take him for his word and signed the tenancy agreement.
This error of judgement has just cost me 9,400QR for 5 months service charge, of which I have only discovered whilst vacating the apartment, further more if I would have seen the agreement out for the year I believe the landlord in question would not have informed me of the situation and it would have been over 20,000QR!
My advise to anyone looking to take out any tenancy agreement on the Pearl period, is to not take accept any verbally agreement as this is not the UK, Europe or even the States wherein most cases, your word is your bond, and always get the contract changed for any discrepency that is not confirmed in writing.
The best of luck
Andy
I am one of the buyers who contacted you to buy some of the house items you was selling last Friday, I called you once I saw your add trying to reserve some items for me that I was seriously going to buy but you said "sorry, first come, first serve", I respected that and woke up early on my weekend to be there first to buy those items, I got shocked when you told me that I will have to BID for those items, WT...., why you didn't say that in your add or not even on the phone when I called you?
"your word is your bond", Yeah it is nice to expect that from others but you need to follow it yourself first, I follow it myself cause I try to be respected by others.
I am sorry for you as being deceived by the landlord.
Just an advice for all of you, if I was on your position I wouldn't tell the landlord I am leaving, I would close my bank account and leave the country and call him later tell him to get his apartment back and the keys under the front door carpet. bye bye... this is what they deserve to be treated and he wont be able to sue you cause it will cost him more.
Be thankful you didn't buy one of these properties then your trouble will be a 100 times worse and you have no legal redress
The Pearly is a nice area but let's face it is a financial disaster. Soon service charges will increase (as can they can be revised every 6 months). Also to cover repair costs as the overall quality of these flats is low The various owners of the Pearl must be under financial pressure so they will look for additional income. In addition, Arabs are very skilled in making verbal promises but eventually the signed contract applies. In addition, you are never sure whether you deal with the real owner or one of the middlemen in between
Look at what happens in the palm jumeirah flats that are handled by Nakheel. They have increased service charges as they are looking for cash. Several owners refused to pay and as a result, Nakheel blocked elevators, locked access to parking areas, introduced a fee to use the gym (even for residents), emptied the swimming pool !
As for your word being your bond elsewhere in the world, a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on and is not valid in Canada (for example) on anything with a value of more than $50.
In courts, a verbal agreement is "he said/(s)he said" and the court generally does not uphold them.
That is the price of living in the most luxurious development in the world. Nothing is as straight forward as it seems here and even contracts when signed can be 'negotiable'
Are you sure he said QR2500 a year??? That right there does not sound correct.
Thats about QR 200 a month only. That alone should have raised a red flag.
QatarCool, garbage, drainage, communications, community fee...all for QR200 a month?! Didn't that sound a bit on the low side to you? I would never live on the Pearl for this very reason, the maintenance charges. Price of units no problem but the monthly fees residents have to put up with relative to the mainland make anyone considering the Pearl to think twice.
everything must be in black&white (written), specially in Qatar!
Andy, all the best in the future, I had preferred to keep the family away from this place,stay alone in small flat.
Sorry to say , but it is not only in Qatar happen. If you sign contract you need to add all points that you have to pay and all points what you should not pay. I this thing you have your right to not pay all additional payment .
Been there and learned the hard way. Never trust anyone and always asked for it in writing regardless of wherever it is in the world. The person you dealt with might no longer with the company, for example.