Maimana shopkeepers unhappy with rent increase

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): Shopkeepers and businessmen in the capital of northern Faryab province commend the municipality’s order to rebuild and renovate hundreds of old shops, but say shop owners are using it as an excuse to double the rent.

According to them, currently the rent of a shop ranges from 80,000 to 400,000 afghanis per year depending on location, but owners of these shops want to double the rent under the pretext that the shops are being renovated.

Ehsanullah, a shopkeeper on Lodin Street, said two months ago, he signed a one-year contract with owner of the shop. He said ten months were remaining in the contract, but the shop owner warned him to pay double rent or vacate the shop.

According to him, doubling the rent and evicting a tenant who has been doing business for several years and has made customers is illegal and a big blow to his business.

Haji Qamar, a shopkeeper, said every shopkeeper has spent 10 to 15 years in their shops and lent more than half of their capital to customers, but now some shop owners have warned them to vacate the shops.

He asked the local government, especially mayor of Maimana, to pay attention to their problems and take action against those who want to expel shopkeeper or double the rent.

Mohammad Salim, another shopkeeper, said he signed a contract with the shop owner for 80,000 afghanis a year and he had 60,000 afghanis in advance.

He said since the shops were rebuilt following order from the municipality, their owners wanted shopkeepers to pay double rent or leave.

Like other shopkeepers, he asked the government and the municipality to stop shop owners from breaching contracts and arbitrarily rising rents, considering the economic crisis in the country.

But Mohammad Afzal, owner of a shop, said when he provided his shop against 80,000 afghanis rent per year, his shop was old and small, but after the order of the mayor, he retreated three meters, rebuilt the shop and spent a lot of money and that was why he wanted to double the rent.

He added the shop was his property and he had the right to rent it out at any price to anyone.

Damla Mohebullah Mawafaq Arab, Mayor of Maiman, said for the development, progress and beauty of the city, about 2,000 shops will be destroyed, reconstructed and renovated, and the work is going on very fast.

But he said some shop owners wanted to raise the rent of their shops after their shop were destroyed and renovated and they spent money. However, he said no one has the right to raise the rent without the consent of the tenant.

hz/ma