"I do not condemn tenant protection, but I strongly protect property rights.".
SANTO DOMINGO.-Reyna Echenique, a lawyer specializing in real estate law, stated that the draft general law on real estate rentals and evictions, approved in its first reading before the Chamber of Deputies, would be violating property rights in the Dominican Republic.
In an interview on the weekly program “La Ventana de El Inmobiliario”, the expert emphasized that the latest modifications have had a “revolutionary” character, despite agreeing with the update of the law.
“Generally speaking, it’s good because it brings progress, transparency, and clarity, but I understand that those last adjustments that were made were very bold and revolutionary, such as penalizing the owner if they evict the tenant by violating illegal processes,” he stated.
The real estate consultancy suggested that, instead of penalizing this type of illegality, which could lead to the imprisonment of a landlord, economic penalties on landlords who violate the legal phases of eviction, which seek to regulate the obligations between tenants and landlords.
He added that the bill, submitted on June 25, could discourage foreign and domestic investment, since "the abuse of a landlord's rights" by a tenant creates tensions and annoyances.
Echenique commented that the country's current tenancy law was enacted in 1955, almost 70 years ago. Given this, he acknowledged that it is a "very tenant-protective law.
“I don’t condemn tenant protections, but I strongly protect property rights. So, when you have a law that protects tenants so much, you’re giving them power,” he explained.
Special court for rentals and evictions
When questioned about the creation of a "Special Court for Rentals and Evictions," also proposed in the bill, she indicated that she agrees, taking into account the need to train a team to join the entity.
“Currently, the backlog of cases in all courts of the Dominican Republic was rotating, and creating a special court to handle these types of litigation requires trained personnel,” the specialist concluded.
