Shopkeepers call for amending Landlord and Tenants' Law

AMMAN — The clothing, footwear and jewellery sectors urged the government to reduce shipping fees and amend the existing Landlord and Tenants' Law, according to a sector representative. 

“The existing Landlord and Tenants' Law [for commercial purposes] favours the rights of landlords”, Asad Qawasmi, a clothing, footwear and jewellery representative at the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) told The Jordan Times.

Qawasmi said that landlords have increased the commercial rent charged under extended leases annually by varying percentages. Furthermore, there is no cap for the annual increase in rent for landlords, which gives the landlords the upper hand, said Qawasmi. 

“When rent is increased, shopkeepers face difficulties in relocating a small, well-established business,” Qawasi added. 

Qawasmi noted that shopkeepers invest hundreds of thousands of dinars into improving their rental units.

Due to all the difficulties related to property leases for commercial purposes, tenants should be allowed by law to remain on the premises under new leases. 

Qawasmi highlighted the importance of the clothing, footwear and jewellry sector in the Kingdom, as it provides job opportunities for over 53,000 employees. 

“Our sector is the only sector that provides university students the opportunity to work in well-paid part time jobs,” Qawasmi noted.

He also noted that most of the sector’s workers are Jordanians and providers for their families.

Qawasmi stressed the importance of including the sector in the Social Security Corporation’s (SSC) Estidama (sustainability) programme.

Employers are unable to pay salaries because of the increase in shipping and rental expenses; therefore, the Estidama programme would help employers in the sector stay open. 

“I had to relocate my business from a unit in downtown Amman where I had been operating for years due to the unjustified increase in rent,” Zaid Haddad, a clothing boutique owner, told The Jordan Times. 

Haddad added that landlords have stronger bargaining power; therefore, they demand higher than reasonable rent. “I invested a lot of money in renovating the outlet I used to rent,” he said. 

“Tenants should be granted the right to be compensated from landlords if they renovated the rented property,” Haddad added.