Residents of Dubai's Marina Crown tower expressed frustration on social media after being locked out of their apartments due to the introduction of a new face-scanning access system by the facilities management company. Last week, an Instagram user, who later deleted his account, claimed that several residents were left stranded outside the building for up to seven hours due to confusion among landlords, property owners, and building management. However, other residents noted that adequate notice was provided to tenants and owners before the system's implementation.
Roxana, an apartment owner and resident, explained that the management had decided about a year ago to implement a system where one car was registered per apartment, allowing entry to the parking lot without an access card. Simultaneously, they announced the face registration system, initially planned for May but delayed until November to give residents ample time to register their details.
A.B., a German expat and apartment owner, stated that only those staying in the building illegally faced issues. "Anyone who is an owner or a legal tenant with Ejari and a rental contract could register their face ID. However, people renting illegal partitions or shared bedrooms without a contract cannot register for face scan," he said.
The 51-storey Marina Crown tower, constructed by Emaar Properties in 2006, features apartments and luxury penthouses. The building's joint common areas are managed by Stratum Owners Association Management, which did not respond to Khaleej Times’ request for comment on the situation.
Roxana, who has lived in the tower for over seven years, claimed that overcrowding is a significant issue due to some owners and residents subletting their apartments to multiple people. "They have created illegal partitions and even built showers and bathrooms without proper waterproofing and drainage," she said. "Some apartments house up to ten people. One tenant owns 40 apartments, each sublet to several people. The rooms are a real danger as they lack smoke detectors, and sprinklers cannot be activated without them. We fear something untoward will happen."
Roxana also mentioned facing issues due to the illegal structures. "The apartment next to me, a three-bedroom unit, has at least seven closed partitions," she said. "My walls are damaged because of them. They have poor maintenance, and many apartments are frequently flooded. Sometimes, pick-up trucks are parked in the building with old furniture brought to this apartment, leaving a mess in the parking lot."
Roxana noted that all access cards were cancelled in June, switching everything to facial recognition. "I welcome the move as it means I don’t need to carry any access card," she said. "My facial recognition was enough to access any part of the building." However, she added that illegal tenants found ways to bypass the system by sneaking in with registered users. "Soon, the management linked each face to the particular floor they lived on," she said.
A.B. also welcomed the move by the building management. "I think this is the best way to stop sharing apartments," he said. "Lately, the building has been so crowded that I felt like I was back living in university dorms. I hope this step will stop the illegal sharing."
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