Partitioning residential units illegal
Expatriate families living in partitioned villas and apartments could be in for trouble as The Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning has confirmed that any partitioning of residential units is regarded as an explicit violation of the Buildings Organisation Law No 4 of 1985.
The representative body has said families living in partitioned villas and flats are putting themselves at risk and putting undue pressure on utilities and services.
The Central Municipal Council had earlier drafted a set of recommendations, which was debated and forwarded to the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning for approval and action.
The Ministry takes CMC’s recommendations seriously and normally approves them with minor alterations.
The CMC had also urged the ministry to strictly enforce the law regulating buildings (No. 4 of 1985) and the Rent Law (No. 4 of 2008), which stipulate that no alterations should be made in buildings and apartments without permission from municipal authorities.
The CMC noted that people took villas on rent, partitioned them to create small residential units, and sublet them, which is against the law.
Any residential unit, whether a villa or an apartment, will not be allowed to be partitioned without approval from the municipality concerned.
The CMC noted that partitioning was also against Law Number 7 of 1989, which regulates the architecture and specifications of buildings.
Sources: Gulf Times and The Peninsula | Photo by Alan Holden from QL Flickr
Illegal act is an illegal act without any reasonable justification. The partition of the villas and flats is against municipality building violation act... Obviously it will affect the low income workers those who are looking for moderate living standard who are searching for a room for 400 - 500 could not afford 800-1500 for un-partitioned room. That's why govt. has set salary 10,000 to 12,000 QR. for family visa status. Such kind of Violation is common is everywhere including UAE and it is unstoppable and impracticable to eradicate completely. What Government can do they can build Labour bachelor accommodation in the outskirts of DOHA (like barwa city) or inside the Doha with a reasonable rent. Otherwise the violation continues...
This idea just like "let burn the house to repel rats" all rats will go around but ur business will also gone.
They should think of implementing law to further decrease of the house rent all over Doha, instead of continually increasing house rent, with this, no one will partitioned the house and no need this law anymore.
House rent here is really not affordable at this time compare before.
Lucky they have a new airport to handle all the people who will leave.
I do agree with Dilgeer....if they implement this rule against partitions (But i do not agree some kind of partitions which are mainly done outside of the villa as an extensions) around 60% expats who live in such partitioned villas will send their families back home as they do not have any choice of shelter to relocate with affordable rent unless and until the Govt. arrange an alternative houses with affordable rent for low income expats. Sending families back home (approximate 60%) of the total population will leave Qatar and that will make and adverse effect on economy. Many shops and malls will be closed soon. Income through immigration services will also reduce a lot.
In a nutshell it will change the Qatar in to a country of rich people and that will collapse very soon as it is not the basis of a strong economy where you can find low middle and upper class families as the back borne of an economy.
I think this law will make LIG families to send their families back home......... as they cannot afford huge rents in Doha or they will rush to ezdan in wukair as rent their is reasonable but it is far... instead of this better option is to send families back and better save money ,,,,,,,,,,,,, then all tourist spots hypermarkets , malls cinemas, parks etc will be deserted and business will be less, if out of 1.2millions 75% are expats, what will be seen of all these places and business will effect, then Qatar government must be having solution like regulating rents in Doha............. otherwise leave alone..............
Who cares? This is posted in The Peninsula on February 05, 2014 - 2:26:41 am....Until now not yet implemented. klwli
it simply matter of different standard.. those who make rule have high income.. so they dont know reality with lower income.. put themselfs on our shoes.. its not we dont want to move on.. but there is not enough space for all to grow.. wake up.. they should put standard base on lower..
They should take into consideration that a lot of expats that are residing in a flat or a villa in a partitioned rooms cannot afford to pay the high rents. They should have reduced the rents or increase the housing allowance of the employees.
The issue here is very simple,Government want to remove extension,no problem,let them put the Rent standard affordable to all thinking about low income earners at least for a single room minimum. 1000 ,second issue,scrap all the agents who ask for commission for doing nothing.........
Galinda...yes, i am sure that's the right case. They don't wanna say it direct. and do it indirectly. Coz the expat numbers keep growing daily & this is how they could reduce it.
Don't you think that if the government, which owns big real estate companies like Barwa and Qatari Diar, wanted to build lots of affordable apartments for families, they would have done it already? The government knows that if they remove partitions in villas that it will mean a lot of families will need to leave Qatar.
Any project in qatar 1st companies dont quote underquote eg.
(a) -quoted 35 Million
(b) quoted 32 Million
(c) quoted 20 Million Gov. Awarded to (c). Dont awarded this (c) because they missed some scope . Only awarded to (b) like this problems in qatar market will solve.
Is there any benefit to post our comments here? Who will see this comment? It's not effecting to ministry. If they want to do this action, first check the all companies what they are providing to their employee, regarding salary, accommodation etc. Of course nobody want to live like this. If govt.will do like this, change first everything that makes people to live like this. FIND THE SOLUTION WHY PEOPLE LIVINGSTON LIKE THIS?
@Galinda....true. it is unfair to do this to low income workers. They get the work done & never look in to their needs. Everyone likes to earn & live in what ever way they could afford. this is tormenting. the Govmnt should 1st know to make apartments where these kind of people could afford to go and stay in. not just kick them out.
It will be a very complicate law to implement. So many families are living in partitioned house, everywhere in doha. They don't have a second option to choose from. Day by day rent is increasing in doha. Its very true. Expats are helpless and hopeless
A new twist on an old theme: "If you can't afford it, leave". That's the message the government is sending.
and the funny and interesting thing is that all this places that are meant for bachelors and other low income people are taken up by this people with families as they try to live as cheaply and miserly as possible. Just look at the places around Najma, Umm Gwalina, Mansoura and you see this buildings stuffed with families which are actually meant for the poorer folks
Gov. must fix rent rate 3 to 4 Years all doha area
1 BHK approx QR. 3000
2 BHK approx QR. 4000
3 BHK approx QR. 5000
This is a serious issue. Why don't the authorities think of the lower income workers? there is no problem for some employees as the employer provides houses to them. But there are alot of others who don't have that privilege. Its actually hard to spend all your earnings on houses only. problem is that these guys are only thinking of on side. Money..money..money.
not all people could afford your rents, open your eyes people, don't make solution to a problem with another problem.
where should all the families living there go?any solution ???????
To prevent partitioning, lower the rent cost of accommodation or raise our housing allowance. I'm working as Showroom Supervisor and i get 1500 housing allowance and i pay my room for 2,000 but the housing allowance of Saleman is (4,000) because he is arab, did you picture out of this?this is salary discrimination i supposed! #ministryofurbanplanningandhousing please study to lower the cost of housing & accommodation.
Most of the people living in partitioned villas are lower income or middle class people who can't afford the rent of 5,000 & 6000 for a 1BHK flat so they are staying in partitioned villas/flat even in that the rent is now rising. I would say first create enough residential places in Qatar for lower/middle class family people & then give them enough chance to move out into a lower rent residential flats. Now even the ezdan village rents have increased so where area we suppose to go, live in streets or send our families back home.
“Jump or stay in the boat.”
excellent step taken to get rid of these...but before going further just few of my questions, what i believe people in these partitions are paying an avg of rent ranging in between 2000 to 3000 QAR for a 1 BHK, so if they remove these partitions, are we having enough accommodations available all over doha to facilitate these people, if yes then do they offer the above said rent range?....and yes do we have a regulation check on the rent offered by these proper houses which one has to rent after going out of the ILLEGAL partitions? if all above is in Yes for real then i'm with the article...if NO then you know what i mean
Average income persons always squize everywhere... no money no life... its world rule. ...
Should There be a law for Decreasing the rent Too ...so that people are not forced to live in Partitioned Houses ...
So where should all the families living there go?