Hiya Union has called on Hiya Flat renters not to pay their rents for the time being.
This came after Housing Development Corporation HDC said that rents for Hiya Housing units would be due this month after deferring the rent several times. With this, HDC is taking MVR 1,000 from each housing unit as a flat management fee which means the total rent has been set at MVR 8,500.
This has prompted the Hiya Union to say that HDC cannot impose the rent that includes a maintenance fee of MVR 1,000 and to ask residents to pay the rent is unlawful.
The Union pointed out that as per the contract struck between residents and HDC, the maintenance fee can only be taken via the corporative societies formed between each of the two towers and that HDC is obliged to make the arrangements within 6 months.
The Hiya Union also said that there were several other issues in the Hiya Flats area and to also consider individual residents as well as that it was Ramdan and money would be tight in some households.
It called on HDC for a further rent deferral and asked residents who have not yet paid their rents not to make the payments yet.
The Union had also condemned comments made by HDC Managing Director Suhail Ahmed noting that rent payments for the flats were going on smoothly and that it had not received any complaints regarding the rent.
