Municipality warns law-breaking real estate owners

Kuwait Municipality tends to intensify penalties and punishments for real estate owners who violate the building laws, and convert private housing into investment, by making amendment to the Municipal Law.

Whoever is found responsible either the owners themselves, engineering offices, consulting houses, engineers, supervisors, or contractors will be fined not less than 100 dinars and not more than 5,000 dinars in the event of committing acts in violation of the building, and in all cases the violator is required to remove the violation at his own expense, reports Al-Qabas daily.

The Director General of the Municipality, Eng Ahmad Al-Manfouhi, in a report he referred to the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, a copy of which has been obtained by the daily, said this is because of the spread of the phenomenon of converting private housing into investment areas through modifications, divisions after connecting the power supply, allowing him to convert the property into residential units (apartments/ studios) that allow him to lease to others, whether to families or singles, or singles only.

Eng Al-Manfouhi said that the legal department called for tougher penalties for violators of the building system, whether (construction or use) according to Articles 39 and 40 of the Municipality Law, so that whoever is proven responsible among the owners or owners of engineering offices, consulting houses, engineers, supervisors, contractors or others, shall be subject to the following penalties: