Bahraini Woman Loses Housing Unit After 4 Years of Neglect and Unauthorised Alterations

TDT - Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini woman has lost her right to a housing unit after neglecting it for four years and making unauthorised alterations, according to a ruling by the Administrative Court. The Ministry of Housing had filed a lawsuit seeking the cancellation of the woman's entitlement to the unit and the return of the keys.

The Ministry argued that the unit had been allocated to the woman as a complete housing service for her and her family to reside in. However, the Ministry's inspections revealed that the unit had been left vacant for years since its allocation, with the woman never moving in and even undertaking unauthorized construction work without obtaining a permit from the relevant municipality.

Following the discovery of the woman's neglect, the Ministry issued a decision to cancel her entitlement to the unit due to her failure to comply with the housing contract's terms. This decision prompted the woman to file a lawsuit.

The court, in its ruling, cited the law, which states that housing unit beneficiaries are prohibited from making any changes to the building, its annexes, or its gas, electricity, or water systems without obtaining permission from the relevant authorities. The law also stipulates that the allocation of a housing unit can be revoked if the beneficiary fails to take possession of the unit within six months of being notified in writing to sign the contract and take possession, or if they fail to reside in the unit for more than six months after taking possession without a justifiable reason accepted by the administration.

The court highlighted that inspection reports and photographs provided evidence of the woman's failure to reside in the unit within the legally mandated timeframe, as well as her unauthorised construction work. The court also noted that the woman had been issued a notice regarding the violation but had failed to rectify the situation or move into the unit.

The court's ruling upholds the Ministry's right to take legal action based on the woman's violation of housing regulations and her failure to comply with the legal requirements for residing in the allocated unit.