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An online rental survey launched on Monday will allow tenants to speak out about the Abu Dhabi market, which commands the highest rates in the UAE.
The 2009 Lease/Rent Abu Dhabi Rental Market survey is being conducted by property portal website www.leaserentuae.com.
It will gauge opinion on the emirate’s leasing market by asking tenants whether prices are too high and if the five percent rent cap provides sufficient protection against sharp annual rent inflation.
Unlike neighbouring Dubai, Abu Dhabi has no rent index and uses a cap to control rent inflation.
Supply in the UAE capital lags strong demand, which has kept prices high and forced many out of the city to cheaper areas such as Dubai and Al Ain.
‘We felt that it was important that we conduct research not just on prices in the city, but also the opinions of tenants who are trying to find accommodation in a very competitive environment because of the supply and demand imbalance,” a spokesman for the firm said in a statement.
“It is common knowledge that rental accommodation, and particularly the price of rental accommodation, is a huge issue in Abu Dhabi,” the spokesman added.
The survey is hoping to attract at least 2,000 respondents.
Although the aim of the survey is not form an actual rental index, tenants will be asked where they live, in what type of property, and how much they pay.
The survey is confidential, according to the website, which launched in January as the first online rental property portal in Abu Dhabi.
