Broke expat refuse to pay up or vacate Juffair apartment : Owners in dilemma

Manama : The representatives of a prominent apartment in Juffair are in a quagmire. They are facing an ‘arduous’ task of vacating a British citizen, who has been staying in his flat on daily basis rent for more than three years, without paying his due rent. 

According to the representatives, who preferred anonymity, the 68-year-old Briton has been renting the flat since March 2013. “During the first few days of his tenancy, payment was perfect and on time.  Later on, he was unable to pay the daily rents.” 

During the initial struggling days, the apartment officials offered him the lowest rate considering his long period of tenancy with them.

However, the officials served a notice of termination in 2014 and gave him 15 days of notice period. But, he refused to accept the notice and pointed some legal terms claiming his rights to retain his stay.  

“We cannot afford further loss. It has been more than three years that he failed to pay his due rent of BD14,400.  We do not know how he is surviving inside the flat. The electricity has been disconnected by the authorities 10 days ago owing to non-payment. We seldom see him coming out of his flat, or somebody visiting him.  One of our apartment staffs told that, he only drinks water and slices of bread for his survival,” said an official.  

“His stay in the apartment is causing foul smell as he does not allow our housekeeping staff to enter the flat for cleaning.  We have approached him several times, but he prevented us.  We even have approached the concerned embassy for advice and legal assistance,” he elaborated.

DT News team visited the British man posing as social workers.  After repeated requests, he allowed us to enter his flat.  He was complaining of not having electricity, and apologised for not serving us tea or coffee. But he was initially unwilling to share his concerns to us.

Two complaints were lodged against him at Nabih Saleh Police Station in 2014, but they too were unable to vacate him. 

He made his last payment in November 2013. As per the records, the latest correspondence from the embassy was that they were going to refer this case to London.