The landlords promptly took advantage of the situation,
making more money through introducing what is known as a "seasonal
renting" system.
With this new system, Makkah now offers three kinds of rent,
including a rent for students, a seasonal rent that allows landlords to rent
out properties to pilgrims and visitors during Ramadan and Haj, as well as the
normal yearly rent, which is very expensive.
Renting out to students means the property is empty during
the school mid-year and summer vacations.
After the school semester, which is three months, the
landlord will rent out the property to pilgrims and visitors to make more
money.
As part of a seasonal rent agreement, the landlord will ask
tenants to vacate the property during the months of Ramadan and Haj and come
back afterward. During this time, he will also rent out to pilgrims and
visitors.
The yearly rent agreement is very expensive because
landlords are keen to make up for the windfall they would otherwise lose out on
during Ramadan and Haj.
A number of residents in Makkah complained to Arab News
about the high rent in Makkah. "The rent consumes my entire salary,"
one of them said.
Ali Fallatah, a Saudi tenant, said he has been living in
rented apartments for more than 15 years as he does not have a house of his
own.
"Rents are increasing every year because of ongoing
development in the Holy City," he said. He claimed that about a decade
ago, annual rent would not exceed SR10,000, but it is now in excess of
SR25,000.
According to him, landlords used to hunt for tenants because
they were scarce. "Now the landlords are virtually fighting with us to
vacate their buildings so they can rent them out at much higher prices during
the Umrah and Haj seasons," he said.
Fallatah said the landlords make more money during Ramadan
and Haj than they make during the rest of the year. "They do not only make
much money, but their buildings are also left empty and clean," he added.
Hussain Ayidh, another Saudi tenant, said his problems with
securing accommodation started three years ago when he got married. "I
accepted an apartment in a building on condition that I vacated it by the end
of Dhul Qada (the month before the Haj season starts) and return to it at the
beginning of Muharram," he said.
Ayidh said although he was paying SR25,000 for his annual
rent, the landlord would bluntly ask him to vacate the apartment during the Haj
season and come back after it was over.
He said all tenants agreed to the landlord’s conditions but
asked him to give each of them a room to keep their furniture. "We were
surprised this year when he asked us to leave before the start of Ramadan so
that he could rent out his building to pilgrims and visitors," he said.
Ayidh said all the tenants had to live in furnished apartments
until Ramadan and Haj was over. "We suffer greatly because the rent for
furnished apartments is very high and also because much of our furniture gets
damaged while we move back and forth," he added.
Ali Tankar said tenants had no option but to give in to
landlords who exploit the need for accommodation.
"The landlords took advantage of the scarcity of
buildings available for rent and started imposing difficult conditions on
tenants, who were forced to accept them. We had no choice because we would not
know where else to go," he said.
Ayidh said he pays an annual rent of SR20,000 for his
apartment, which he has to vacate from the beginning of Ramadan until the end
of Haj.
"During this period I will pay between SR4,500 and
SR6,000 for a furnished apartment, which is not usually well-furnished. When
you add this to the cost of my annual rent, I am paying at least SR26,000 for
my accommodation," he said.
Tenants urged authorities to step in and stop this trend
before it is too late.
