SECURITY guards at apartment buildings could soon be provided with decent accommodation and treated as tenants.
The Southern Municipal Council unanimously voted in favour of a new rule for guards, based on a proposal presented by chairman Bader Al Tamimi.
Under the move, they would be given a 30sqm room on the ground floor with a formal address, separate electricity and water meter and residency registration.
Under the current regulations, rooms on the rooftop are allocated for services such as storage, laundry and for fitness purposes and their electricity and water is under the main building supply.
However, some landlords house security guards there and not in an actual room, the meeting heard.
“Security guards could be registered as tenants with an address just so that they can get smart cards and employment permits,” said Mr Al Tamimi. “Actually, many are staying on the top floor and rooftops which should be used by tenants for services.
“In most cases there are no beds with the guards sleeping on the floor. And, even as they try to sleep, they could be disturbed by tenants wanting to use the storage space, dry their laundry or even to do weights or aerobics.”
Mr Al Tamimi said new building rules needed to reflect guards’ presence in the facility.
“A 30sqm room with a toilet should be allocated for each security guard in each residential building,” he said. “The room should be registered under an address similar to each apartment in the building and the security guard should be officially recognised as a tenant.
“This also helps in case of actual emergencies with the authorities being able to identify the individual working there.”
Mr Al Tamimi said the move would involve just a minor alteration to the way the building is constructed, while managing available spaces.
“Security guards are human beings and deserve to be treated as such; they are not accessories within buildings,” he added.
The proposed rule change has been referred to the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf for review.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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