# just moved to cairo...apartment question :(...



## ashandri (Sep 13, 2009)

Hi! Our family just moved to New Maadi in Cairo. We rented an apartment near the US aid building in New Maadi. We signed a lease until December with the expectation that the apartment would HAVE WATER. Since arriving here two weeks ago, we have been without water 8 of of the 14 days. The apartment is nice, the landlord has been courteous, etc. However, it is extremely difficult to live with a 2 and 4 year old without water over half the time. In addition, we are paying 1,000$ to live here. Does anyone have any advice? Do you think we have good reason to break the lease? What measures could the landlord take if we do? The lease does say that if we leave, we will have to pay the 4 months of rent anyways. However, I feel that the lease has been somewhat negated considering we don't even have basic amenities. ???? Thanks for any advice


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## stahlblu (Aug 30, 2009)

ashandri said:


> Hi! Our family just moved to New Maadi in Cairo. We rented an apartment near the US aid building in New Maadi. We signed a lease until December with the expectation that the apartment would HAVE WATER. Since arriving here two weeks ago, we have been without water 8 of of the 14 days. The apartment is nice, the landlord has been courteous, etc. However, it is extremely difficult to live with a 2 and 4 year old without water over half the time. In addition, we are paying 1,000$ to live here. Does anyone have any advice? Do you think we have good reason to break the lease? What measures could the landlord take if we do? The lease does say that if we leave, we will have to pay the 4 months of rent anyways. However, I feel that the lease has been somewhat negated considering we don't even have basic amenities. ???? Thanks for any advice


First remember one thing the leases arent like the states. The Landlord will not be in trouble if he does something outside the lease. The police dont care. Really that is how life is here.... Being without water is normal in any home in Cairo. the Key is to keep water daily in a round or square tub as many families do this. HOWEVER! the reasoning you lose water could be construction in the area, bad water pipes, the sewage is messed up many different things. My suggestion is to call the owner and invite him over... 1000 pounds isnt that high for your area because normally people in maadi that are foriegners especially american pay in upwards of 2000+ if they get a bad guy. 

my thoughts are explain this problem to your landlord... ask him what he will do about it. and if nothing will be done. simply locate a local attorney which they are very cheap... if you need help there i can help you and then he will contact the landlord for you... Problem is Americans have alot of pull in this country and Egyptians do not so he wont think twice about fixing it if you have an attorney contact him and pull your nationality card. 


They Police dont care and the court system only cares if you valid proof there was no water such as video etc. so really if you leave he can take a court case against you and you could win. Simple as that. if you need help let me kno


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## ashandri (Sep 13, 2009)

Thanks for the advice. Just to clarify though...we are paying 1000 USD, which is a great deal of money to not have water I would think. We have met many people in Maadi and they are not having this problem. We have written our landlord, but I do not think this is something he can fix. I think the construction is the cause and I think it has been going on for a long time (we were just not told that this was the case). 



stahlblu said:


> First remember one thing the leases arent like the states. The Landlord will not be in trouble if he does something outside the lease. The police dont care. Really that is how life is here.... Being without water is normal in any home in Cairo. the Key is to keep water daily in a round or square tub as many families do this. HOWEVER! the reasoning you lose water could be construction in the area, bad water pipes, the sewage is messed up many different things. My suggestion is to call the owner and invite him over... 1000 pounds isnt that high for your area because normally people in maadi that are foriegners especially american pay in upwards of 2000+ if they get a bad guy.
> 
> my thoughts are explain this problem to your landlord... ask him what he will do about it. and if nothing will be done. simply locate a local attorney which they are very cheap... if you need help there i can help you and then he will contact the landlord for you... Problem is Americans have alot of pull in this country and Egyptians do not so he wont think twice about fixing it if you have an attorney contact him and pull your nationality card.
> 
> ...


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## stahlblu (Aug 30, 2009)

ashandri said:


> Thanks for the advice. Just to clarify though...we are paying 1000 USD, which is a great deal of money to not have water I would think. We have met many people in Maadi and they are not having this problem. We have written our landlord, but I do not think this is something he can fix. I think the construction is the cause and I think it has been going on for a long time (we were just not told that this was the case).



Actually 1000 usd isnt alot of money because they charge foriegners 800 usd for a studio around maadi so your lucky there. ummm well my suggestion is keep water in tubs and you need to ask the neighbors if they are having issues also. and my husband said there is a number but he doesnt know it so he said call 140 from a landline or that 140online . com and look up governmental water company or something the arabic name is maslaha al meyah that is the arabic name. that should come up with something and they will tell you what is going on.

but definately you still need to ask the neighbors because the government wont always know 100% lol drives me nuts but that is how it is

my husband said in a villa in New maadi it is 3000-4000usd a month for foriegners in your area and flats are going t be around 1500 or more... but it is themost expensive place in Cairo and ALL foriegners mainly leave her and they pay in their native currency... It sucks i know but unfortunately people here take advantage of the money from the other parts of the world. ill email you privately and giv eyou my personal email My husband and i will help in anyway we can. just let me know


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## Jessica&Paul (Jun 17, 2009)

ashandri said:


> Hi! Our family just moved to New Maadi in Cairo. We rented an apartment near the US aid building in New Maadi. We signed a lease until December with the expectation that the apartment would HAVE WATER. Since arriving here two weeks ago, we have been without water 8 of of the 14 days. The apartment is nice, the landlord has been courteous, etc. However, it is extremely difficult to live with a 2 and 4 year old without water over half the time. In addition, we are paying 1,000$ to live here. Does anyone have any advice? Do you think we have good reason to break the lease? What measures could the landlord take if we do? The lease does say that if we leave, we will have to pay the 4 months of rent anyways. However, I feel that the lease has been somewhat negated considering we don't even have basic amenities. ???? Thanks for any advice


 The person who says $1000 is cheap for the area is wrong. Paying 5000 egp and living without consistent water is ridiculous and to say its the norm in Maadi is just wrong. You should pack up and just say goodbye to your deposit. I'm pretty sure I met you or your husband and gave him a number to call to find an apartment and I also asked my landlord when I got home that day and he told me of a couple of apartments in Degla that he could show. If this is who I think it is, call me and I will help you out. I gave you my number. - Paul


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## stahlblu (Aug 30, 2009)

Jessica&Paul said:


> The person who says $1000 is cheap for the area is wrong. Paying 5000 egp and living without consistent water is ridiculous and to say its the norm in Maadi is just wrong. You should pack up and just say goodbye to your deposit. I'm pretty sure I met you or your husband and gave him a number to call to find an apartment and I also asked my landlord when I got home that day and he told me of a couple of apartments in Degla that he could show. If this is who I think it is, call me and I will help you out. I gave you my number. - Paul


1000usd is much more than 5000egp first off and that is cheap my husband and i were goin to move there and he is egyptian and they wanted for a villa 5800 egp for a very small villa so we discussed it and decided agains it. it is very cheap for a villa. Villa rent in maadi is not around 5000egp LOL for anyone let alone a foriegner. 

if it is a flat on the other hand it is very very expensive... and no consistent water doesnt happen in Egypt... unless you have your own well and are stealing water from the government to keep it full.... unfortunatley nothing is consistent in this country. It sucks but that is the way it works.

The only thing consistent is the unconsistency... sorry but that is Egypt.! it is nice tho once your used to it lol


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## stahlblu (Aug 30, 2009)

also saying goodbye to your deposit means that the landlord can bring a court case against you so be very careful to those who want you to do something illegal... because breaching a contract without documentation in this country isnt so easy in the court systems... either they willf orce you to pay all the money to the landlord or something worse... so please remember they do treat us well but they expect more from us as well

I ASKED MY HUSBAND AND HE SAID THAT IF YOU LEAVE WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION AND DOING ALL IN YOUR POWER TO GET IT RESOLVED THAT YOU ARE BOUND BY THE LAW AND CAN BE DEPORTED IF THE GUY WANTS TO PRESS IT THAT FAR. One thing to remember also is money makes all things in Egypt... Alls he has to do is pay the court judge and you will be deported if he wants. I am not saying he will be what i am saying is never ever do anything ILLEGAL no matter what any american or foriegner says on this forum or any forum because you can get into SO much trouble. My husband has lived here all his life and is advising you to contact the numbers I gave you first... and then to contact police if it isnt construction.... then after documentation then give the landlord a written notice and you must keep a copy of it that says that you are leaving because he isnt doing his part of the contract to take care of the place etc... and that you will forego your deposit and find a more suitable place... IF YOU do something illegal it can come back to haunt you for the rest of your life and if your husband works here and travels to other countries it will always be there... so please dont do something illegal like walking out on a contract without documentation


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