A top official has urged people to be careful when making changes to government housing as they could end up being costly in more ways than one.
The warning came as Housing and Urban Planning Ministry adviser Faheem Abdulla met residents of Salman Town during an open meeting at the Northern Municipal Council in Budaiya as part of the Hayakom initiative.
“We understand that many people want to enhance the look of their homes,” said Mr Abdulla during the meeting.
“But we urge them to ensure that they contact the ministry before making any major changes, especially when it comes to flats.
“Flats operate in their own complex ecosystems, and if electricity works or structural ones are not done correctly, it can endanger other residents in the building.
“As for changes to outdoor walls or fences, we have taken great consideration of these, especially in Salman Town, and if work needs to be done for whatever reason, always check with the ministry.”
Making interior changes to a Bahrain government housing unit requires official municipal permits.
Non-structural changes such as simple cosmetic work like painting, tiling and installing non-structural gypsum partitions inside rooms can be done freely.
Structural alterations like knocking down walls, changing plumbing lines, or altering the layout require an engineered plan and a permit from the local municipality.
Converting a built-in car parking garage or yard space into an indoor majlis or extra room is strictly regulated and doing so without a licence can lead to severe penalties.
Municipal inspectors monitor illegal expansions closely as unlicensed structural changes burden the home’s original foundation and risk causing structural cracking.
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