If you pass by Makdessi street in Hamra, you will notice the above banners outside Antoury’s market. The big banner says “This is not Ariel Sharon’s Supermarket” while the small ones translate roughly to “Stop this unjust decision that will leave 6 families homeless” and “Can you find a property in Hamra that sells for $2000 per square meters?”.
So what’s the story?
Based on The Beirut Report’s post, a relative of the shopkeeper is saying she was offered only $60,000 to vacate both the shop and the shopkeeper’s 130 square meter apartment. Obviously, the market price for such a property is at least 10 times higher but the woman is an old renter and apparently that’s the amount she was offered after several court rulings.
I don’t know how she ended up getting $60,000 only and it does sound like an unfair amount, but that’s one of the many consequences of this old rent law that we will soon get rid of. The old law is affecting both tenants and landlords and both parties rarely manage to settle things out in a fair way.
My friend Amer said this place had one of the best Labneh sandwiches in Beirut.
Actually the story is once again about injustice.
How can the same khabeer price a meter of land for $10000 and “Antoury market” meter for only $2000?
Knowing that the first lot is in the same building.
This family has suffered a lot already, the father was killed by a Lebanese 7izb….
All they are asking for its justice after 30 years
The problem is in Lebanese mentality, you should get money to vacate a property you rented!
this will never happen anywhere else in the world!
in all other countries, the renter will get few months to vacate and 0$ as compensations.
but in the country of wonders, it’s better to rent than to buy, at the end of the day, you get the money you paid+ a bonus!
crazy country! stupid laws!!
Well to be fair to the landlords (in general) also, 60K is more than rational. We have to keep in mind that the place does not belong to the tenant in the first place, so getting money to vacate something that’s not yours is always fair. This is a very ridiculous process.
Lela, well done and thanks for your support.
“What” you are 100 % right if you are talking about a country that supports you and give you a compensation for the damage that its going to cause.
If you are talking about Other countries then do more researches and comment properly.
To refresh your mind, tenants overseas will pay upfront bond for 3 or 4 weeks.
Tenor will give you 15 days to evacuate the place and the bond will be given based on the status of the house.
Anyway, its a lovely country that is ashamed of a person like you talking that way.
Great law that we have, but the problem is the system.
Samir Antoury, we all support you and hope that you will get what you want.
I’m sorry, but whatever injustice the family dealt with in the past has nothing to do with the landlord and he should not be made to compensate them for it. I’m glad there’s finally a step toward reform of these ridiculous tenant compensation laws. Tenant should be happy with the fact that they’re getting anything at all. Besides, I don’t see anyone demanding the compensation for the landlord’s potential loss of revenue over the past several years.