Shared housing without safety checks faces power cuts and lease bans

TDT | Manama

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Shared housing without safety clearance faces power cuts and cancelled contracts, under rules now in force across Bahrain.

Decision No. 1 of 2023, issued by the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture, sets out terms for registering group housing leases in all four governorates.

It follows changes to the Real Estate Rent Law passed in 2020.

Under the framework, landlords must present a structural safety certificate from a licensed engineering office before a lease can be accepted.

If a property falls short of the conditions, municipal authorities may call for electricity and water to be cut, and the lease struck off.

Scope

Minister, His Excellency Wael Al Mubarak, said the move gives local councils wider scope to act against crowded labour lodgings and crumbling bachelor flats.

In a written reply to MP Mohammed Mousa, he pointed to the risks posed by buildings that were neither registered nor fit for use. He added that the rules cover wiring, fire exits and the soundness of the structure.

Cases may also be referred to court, while unlicensed blocks can have their power supply cut altogether.

In one part of the Southern Governorate alone, inspectors recorded 84 violations across 2023 and 2024.

Common breaches included unsafe storage of gas cylinders, makeshift wiring, subletting, and buildings teetering on collapse.

Regular checks

The Southern Municipality is carrying out regular checks in coordination with the governorate, the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), the Ministries of Health and Interior, and elected councillors.

The focus is on identifying rented spaces housing workers without a licence and bringing them into line with the rules.