Roads Blocked in Rival Demos over New Rent Law

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Rival demonstrations were staged on Tuesday over the controversial new rent law that was recently adopted by parliament.

Members of the Follow-Up Committee of the National Conference of Tenants blocked the main street of Beirut's Hamra district, demanding that an amended version of the law be put in place.

It did not demand that the law be scrapped, but that a fair one be adopted instead.

“It is unfortunate that none of the lawmakers and political blocs have taken our plight into consideration because they are the ones benefiting from the law,” it added.

“This is the beginning of a social revolution,” it declared, while adding that it will stage a sit-in in front of parliament on Wednesday to press its demands.

“We will not be evicted from our houses,” stressed the protesters.

“We have legal contracts to live in our own homes and we are demanding that our rights be preserved,” they added.

“Lawmakers should not be led to believe that this law will pass,” they warned.

Later on Tuesday, the owners of old rent law buildings staged a rival sit-in at the Riad al-Solh Square in downtown Beirut to press President Michel Suleiman to sign the new rent law.

"Mr. President, our parents suffered dire situations and some of them were not able to pay for their children's medical care. We, the sons of the owners who were displaced from our houses, will not forget how our parents died," a spokesman said during the protest.

"Mr. President, do not allow further 'executions' of owners of old rent law buildings. We are without shelter while others are benefiting from our properties," he lamented.

"The heirs of the owners of old rent law buildings are not capable of assisting their parents and we unwillingly contributed to resolving the housing crisis throughout four decades, but today we're the ones suffering a housing crisis," the spokesman noted.

He said a lot of owners are elderly people and the new law represented "a glimpse of hope for them."

"You took an oath to be the constitution's first defender and your signing of the law would definitely protect the constitution and the rule of law," the spokesman said, addressing Suleiman.

He also called on all owners to stage a sit-in Wednesday at the intersection of the presidential palace in Baabda "in support of the president" and to push him to sign the law.

Last week, parliament passed a controversial draft law regarding rents, which had been previously opposed by renters, who argue that many won't be able to afford it, which will force them to leave their homes.

The new law calls for an increase in rents over a six-year period until they reach 5 percent of their current value.

The old rent law pertains to rent contracts carried out before 1993.

Several demonstrations have been staged in protest against the law, with the General Labor Confederation calling on President Michel Suleiman Suleiman to refer it back to the Joint Parliamentary Committees for further discussions.

M.T./Y.R.

Comments 15
Thumb lebanon_first 08 April 2014, 16:55

Demonstrators: "We occupied by force the appartments of other people for decades. We want to occupy them again for decades. If anybody works his ass off to buy an appartment to rent out, We are ready to rent it free of charge . Else we block roads."

What kind of a farce is this? What right are we talking about? the right to take that which is not yours? These lowlives should be gassed!

Missing marhaba 08 April 2014, 21:46

It's good to see the rent laws are finally being modernised. It's ridiculous how people can get away with renting at the "old rent" prices.

But, this isn't the renter's fault. Legally speaking, up until this new law, they are legal occupants. You can't blame the renters for the past. You can blame them for this stupidity when it comes to blocking the roads.

Thumb FlameCatcher 08 April 2014, 17:51

Come on, these people are ridiculous, in fact, most of these tenants are richer than the owners of their houses. They pay such ridiculous rent (below 100,000LL per year) that the tenants don't even bother collecting them.

And tenants complain that the houses they live in are not maintained properly by their owners and often in despicable conditions.

Owners are even unable to sell their properties with such tenants.

It's time to bring rent prices back to a normal level which could actually play a role in decreasing the average rental fees across the entire market.

Default-user-icon mazen (Guest) 08 April 2014, 17:55

Exactly!! It is not up to the landlords to subsidize cheap housing!! Maybe owners of aparts. earning peanuts for their property should demonstrate and shut down roads too..or even better, evict the tenants once and for all!

Default-user-icon Dagger (Guest) 08 April 2014, 18:15

Does anyone remember the fact that a building collapsed on its occupants because of low maintenance. You don't want to accept a higher rent well then.... accept BETONNN on your head.

Default-user-icon Mhanna Tony (Guest) 08 April 2014, 18:56

you are pathetic! you really think that every tenants are financially ok and there wont be thousands of thousand of people without shelter and they can "manage" themselves with 500$ a month to rent a house as if their salary is 3000$

Default-user-icon Hanoun (Guest) 08 April 2014, 19:01

the bill of electricity or mobile phone per month is greater than 1 year rent is it conceivable

Thumb lebanon_first 08 April 2014, 20:04

also by liberating 10s of thousands of appartments, rents overall in the country will decrease. Also there will be more confidence in the judiciary.

Missing lappeaudecouille 09 April 2014, 00:09

The tenants have to account for new costs they were not expecting. Shame on them. We need a progressive law that will bring back the rights of the owners. Some of them owners are getting paid rental fees that are prehistoric.Our Society needs better citizens and it all starts with a better education and a deep understanding of what we intend to leave behind us when we are gone. Lebanese; They only think in terms of "me me me me me me now now now now now now now now" Surely they are biting their fingers with this new law and creating chaos with their stage ins. Go back home and be grateful for all those years you had a roof to sleep under without having to pay a fair rent. PAY UP.

Missing lebanesecitizen 09 April 2014, 04:43

To bigjohn, from your repetitive phrases you seem to be confused or ignorant
of the meaning of the word 'RENT". When someone rents a chalet, car, apartment
or anything.. the stipulation is that:

1- The contract must have the consent of both parties. If any party does not consent, then the
contract becomes invalid.
2- It is temporary.
3- The owner is free to set 'any' price that he deems fair. If the renter does not like it,
he can go somewhere else. That is why it
4- Under NO circumstance does the renter become 40% co-owner.
5- The act of renting is a source of income. Yes! Believe it or not the owners rent to make money.
And should be able to maintain the rentals and live off the earnings.

The old rent law breaks all these rules and it should have been rectified back in 1992.

Missing lebanesecitizen 09 April 2014, 04:44

To bigjohn, from your repetitive phrases you seem to be confused or ignorant
of the meaning of the word 'RENT". When someone rents a chalet, car, apartment
or anything.. the stipulation is that:

1- The contract must have the consent of both parties. If any party does not consent, then the
contract becomes invalid.
2- It is temporary.
3- The owner is free to set 'any' price that he deems fair. If the renter does not like it,
he can go somewhere else.
4- Under NO circumstance does the renter become 40% co-owner.
5- The act of renting is a source of income. Yes! Believe it or not the owners rent
to make money. And should be able to maintain the rentals and live off the earnings.

The old rent law breaks all these rules and it should have been rectified back in 1992.

Default-user-icon Najib (Guest) 09 April 2014, 19:16

Hope they will move on to organize foreign ownership, especially those filthy GCC residents who can come to lebanon as visitors but unfortunately they own now the best plots and forever! Knowing that Lebanese cannot own shit in their nasty desert countries,,,!
Hope morales will wake up here and treat foreigners the way they treat us

Missing undefined 10 April 2014, 08:20

@bigjohn: *I* am one of the people you call filthy capitalist landlords. I DO NOT have a steady income, in fact, I am struggling financially, and I have to go out and rent an apartment at market prices while a leech tenant stays in my apartment essentially for free. And to get him to leave I have to pay him 30-50% of the value of the apartment which he has been staying in for free!!! Tell me how that is fair?! I didn't even earn a penny from his rent over the last decades!!!!

Default-user-icon Zed (Guest) 10 April 2014, 19:11

Always extreme views, rarely someone posts anything that is balance on these forums. The old rent law is unfair to landlords, but it did help people back on their feet, most of whom were not the cause of the war. Secondly, some but not all have taken advantage of the old rent law, they were saving money and investing it elsewhere while living off the back of the landlord. The law needs to be adjusted to allow those who will end up on the streets to stay until their death (this does not include their children). A fair percentage of their wages should be paid to the landlord, this is for low-income owners. Those who are rich on old rent (and there are many trust me), should either leave or pay full mkt rates asap. Problem solved.

Missing undefined 13 April 2014, 08:40

Zed: "allow those who will end up on the streets to stay until their death". What? Are you serious? It is not the responsibility of the landlords to care for these people. This isn't a communist country last I checked. They've lived at the expense of the landlords for long enough, they've gotten enough "free housing", now let their kids or extended family or the government help them. Why should I 1) earn nothing from my property and 2) actually SPEND thousands of dollars per year on rent myself?