The syndicate of owners of real estate properties and leased buildings staged on Wednesday a sit-in outside the National Museum, where the protesters refused any attempt to undermine their dignity and deprive them of their rights, as they said.
In this regard, the owners called on President Michel Sleiman to “sign the new rent law without hesitation.”
During the sit-in, the protesters raised banners reading: “the owners are the poor,” “enough injustice to owners,” and “no for violating the rights of the owners.” The landlords have been staging several movements over the past week to urge the concerned parties to sign the new law.
On the other hand, old tenants have also been staging protests to voice their rejection to the new rent law proposed by parliament. Two weeks ago, lawmakers passed a controversial draft rent law rejected by old tenants. Under the new law, rents regulated by the old rent law would increase over six years until they reach 5 percent of the current market value of an apartment. More than 200,000 apartments, mostly in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, are estimated to be rented under the old law, which governs lease contracts enacted before 1992. Inhabitants pay minimal rent fees that often amount to less than LL1,000,000 a year – a remnant of the country’s preinflation days just after the Civil War. Longtime tenants argue that the draft law would displace thousands of families. For more details, watch Maroun Nassif's full report in the video above