Since fire ripped through Dubai Marina’s ‘Torch Tower’ on the third of August, residents have been forced into temporary accommodation for the foreseeable future, staying in hotels, or with friends and relatives. Some residents have been relocated to Discovery Gardens or IMPZ, both far from Marina, which has been inconvenient for travel time to work.

One real estate agent, however, has taken it upon himself to find long term solutions for those affected by The Torch fire. Akash Mair, said he could only imagine their stress and has teamed up with landlords to find accommodation for as many people as possible. He has approached compassionate landlords requesting they offer the first month free, or allow them to pay the deposit at a later date.

And Akash is providing this for free instead of charging his regular (5% broker fee) commission. When asked why he would take this responsibility upon himself, Akash said to SCHWARTZWILLIAMS, “What goes around comes around- it’s times like these that people need to show their humanity.”

In the 12 days following the fire, he managed to find new long-term rentals for 6 separate parties, and is working tirelessly to re-accommodate a further 15. Akash said that even if the residents were lucky enough to not be directly affected by the flames, they had lost faith in The Torch. It is the second time in 2 years that it has been affected by fire. He also said that some residents are afraid to live in a residential tower again, especially in higher floors, and some prefer to leave the Dubai Marina area entirely. He remarked that lower floors of residential buildings didn’t usually have much demand, but as a reaction of the recent fires, lower floors are becoming a more appealing prospect for some prospective tenants.

Some residents have been forced to downsize their living arrangements’ budget. Many are left out of pocket due to the waiting period for insurance to pay out, or are in discussion with landlords to get money back from the rent they have paid in advance. Akash’s willingness to negotiate with landlords on behalf on the tenants is truly invaluable particularly within these unfortunate constraints.

Akash Mair has been working in real estate for 13 years, split between the UK and UAE and is currently a freelance real estate broker based in Dubai in partnership with Premier Estates Business Bay. SCHWARTZWILLIAMS asked his advice on tenants in emergency situations:

What do you think can be done to minimise the impact on fire affected tenants in the future?

“The owners association’s insurance should pay a broker, so tenants don’t have to rely on good will. The Government should also make the procedure easier for those affected by disaster. Currently, rentals are for a minimum 1-year lease, which may not be convenient for those needing sudden accommodation. Tenants have been forced to agree to a 1-year lease and have no choice because they need to find a new home ASAP.”

What sense of satisfaction do you have by helping the people and families affected by this emergency?

“People come to Dubai to make money quickly, it’s a dog eat dog world. I’m happy to hold their hand and help them through the process, the last thing people affected by disasters need is more people asking them for money. It’s feels good to show some humanity, this is the British way.”

For more information, email Akash Mair via the link below.

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