MPs push action on unpaid fees in housing apartment blocks

TDT | Manama

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Parliament voted yesterday to back changes to the rules governing residents’ associations in Ministry of Housing apartment blocks. The move follows complaints that some residents have failed to pay maintenance fees, leading to delays and shortcomings in shared services.

The motion was submitted by MPs Hassan Ebrahim, Bader Al Tamimi, Hamad Al Doy, Abdulwahid Qarata and Maryam Al Sayegh.

Rules

It calls for clearer rules and workable steps for beneficiaries’ associations that manage and maintain shared parts of housing buildings, with fee arrears raised as a key source of disputes and deterioration.

During the debate, Ebrahim argued that the current framework relies on a ministerial decision that lacks bite, saying it is “organised on paper” but without the force needed to make non-payers meet their obligations.

He gave a practical example of how the gap plays out in daily life, describing a resident on an upper floor who pays on time but still suffers when basic services stop.

Treatment

“Why is the person who pays treated unfairly?” he asked, pointing to older residents, patients and people with disabilities who may be left struggling when a lift breaks down and repairs stall.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning told MPs it has been working over recent years on changes linked to the management of shared parts in vertical housing projects.

It said it has regulated the formation of associations, the selection of boards for each building, and guidance for boards through ministerial decisions issued from 2010 up to Decision No. 97 of 2014, later amended in 2016.

Review

It added that it has been working with Eskan Bank since the second half of 2023 to review the full set of rules and standards related to beneficiaries’ associations.

The review includes testing the updated framework through newer vertical housing models, including a pilot linked to the Madinat Salman residential buildings project, ahead of issuing a revised regulatory decision.