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Hundreds Of Dubai Residents Hit With Dh30 Million Holiday Home Rental Scam

by Deeplata Garde
Hundreds Of Dubai Residents Hit With Dh30 Million Holiday Home Rental Scam

After falling prey to a property leasing scam in Dubai, victims might lose tens of thousands of dirhams. When a Dubai holiday home agency declared a two-week holiday for New Year on December 22. This left its 30-plus staff both startled and fascinated. Nobody knew their managers were planning to close shop and depart overnight without paying their wages, despite making over Dh30 million via sophisticated rental schemes.

Several folks spent more than Dh10,000 in a short period of time. Homeowners who signed contracts with the fake Evernest Holiday Properties Rental LLC claim they couldn’t enter their homes. They have lost tens of thousands of dirhams in annual rent payments. The renters who had separate contracts with the agency are in an even worse predicament. They now live in continuous terror of being evicted. Many people’s utilities had already been turned off.

Hundreds Of Renters Hit By The Scam

Evernest approached homeowners in posh Dubai neighbourhoods and offered to sublease their houses over market rentals. Scam artists in 2019 adopted this method. Those who consented got four rental checks with a four-month grace period. Meanwhile, another team contacted potential renters who had offers of identical houses at much-reduced prices. However, there was a catch: the tenants had to pay the whole year’s rent in advance.

Hundreds of renters jumped at the chance to take advantage of the deal. Evernest collected roughly Dh30 million in term deposits from over 230 renters. Then the founders sent out a mass email to their workforce shut down the shutters and vanished without a trace. The scam came to light when the post-dated cheques allocated to homeowners bounced due to scarce funds.

Several Complaints Have Been Filed Against The Runaway Firm

When the residents arrived at Evernest’s 17th-floor office in Al Sufouh’s Sidra Tower, it was too late. When they returned home in search of explanations, they were met with yet another surprise. People who had paid Evernest the entire year’s rent inhabited their house. They also owned papers to prove they were legitimate renters.

“It’s evident Evernest had no intention of paying us,” one Arab expatriate claimed. He was clutching a stack of bogus checks for Dh80,000 issued against his one-bedroom flat in Dubai Marina.

Evernest subleased the same flat to an Indian expatriate in November of last year, who paid the agency Dh60,000 in one check. The tourism licence for Evernest Holiday Homes expires on January 22. According to reports, the licence had a change on September 14, 2021, to change the firm ownership. The company’s owner has departed the country, according to further research.

Interim Statements By The Investigating Authorities

“Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is continually engaged with our partners to assist resolve any difficulties in the vacation home industry,” said Khalid Saeed bin Touq, Executive Director, Tourism Activities and Classification.
Also Read: Rental Relocations In Dubai Witness Steady Rise Despite Covid- 19
DET continually recommends all guests and investors check the applicable guidelines in the 2020 Holiday Home Guide. And in order to protect their rights. Also, the Dispute Management Team is always available to assist all parties and find peaceful solutions, according to him.

First Published: January 18, 2022 2:49 PM