“Municipalities”: a fine of up to 25 thousand riyals for randomly dividing residential units
The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing presented a draft regulatory guide via the “Reconnaissance” platform, aiming to eliminate the phenomenon of division Structural modifications or internal architecture that affect the structural integrity of the building or safety systems, such as fire systems and emergency exits, without official approvals from the competent authorities.
Monitoring and control channels
The “Municipalities and Housing” stated that monitoring violations of zoning of residential units is carried out through several channels, including field monitoring carried out by municipal monitors, and community monitoring through citizen and resident reports via the “940” Report Center, in addition to monitoring The office, through the “Ejar” platform, analyzes data on rental contracts, as well as reports referred by relevant authorities, such as the General Real Estate Authority and the Ministry of Tourism.
The Ministry confirmed that no violation is committed unless a field visit is conducted by the competent observer, and the violation is documented in a seizure report supported by photographs, to prove that the number of units exceeds what is approved in the building permit.
Field Reasoning Mechanism
The Ministry indicated that the observers They infer the presence of zoning violations during field tours through a number of indicators, including an increase in the accumulation of cars in the property’s parking lots exceeding the capacity, failure to close the main door of the building, and the presence of side or back doors on the setbacks, in addition to the presence of previous reports recorded on the property.
Common Violation Models
The guide reviewed a number of observed violation models, the most prominent of which is dividing regular units into smaller units while keeping the main unit door, which may mislead the observer, and zoning. The violator of shelter facility units without a license, in addition to opening illegal doors on side setbacks as a result of dividing the units.
Monitoring, verification and alerting procedures
The Ministry explained that the procedures begin with receiving reports from official communication channels or partner agencies, followed by monitoring tours and analysis results from the “Ejar” platform, then verification by scheduling a field visit to the site, verifying the building license and building ownership information. The violator is then officially notified with a warning letter or by placing a notice sticker on the building, obligating him to visit the secretariat within the specified period.
If the building owner’s data is available, an official notification is sent of the need to correct the violation within a period not exceeding 60 days, while the field visit is repeated and a notice is placed on the facade of the building if the owner’s data is not available. If the violation is not corrected within the regulatory period, the violation will be officially applied.
Fines and the correction mechanism
Municipalities and Housing stated that the violation of dividing the building into units in violation of the building permit is recorded against the owner or investor, and is given a correction period of up to 60 days. The value of the fine ranges between a minimum of 5,000 riyals and a maximum of 25,000 riyals.
The Ministry confirmed that the violator is obligated to remove the violation at his own expense, and in cases where removal is not possible for structural reasons related to the safety of the building, the violation can be corrected by removing the damage resulting from it, or the violator can be obligated to pay half the cost of the building subject to the violation, with the requirement to submit a certificate from an engineering office approved by the Ministry proving the safety of existing facilities after correction.
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