Making changes to your home in Oman? You could be fined OMR300

Energy Saturday 03/February/2018 21:37 PM
By: Times News Service
Making changes to your home in Oman? You could be fined OMR300

Muscat: Planning to paint your building’s external walls a new colour? Or maybe install some canopies and bird cages on your roof? If so, you might be committing a building violation.
If any of these changes are implemented without permission, they can attract fines ranging from OMR100 to OMR300, the Muscat Municipality (MM) has announced.
The list of existing building violations includes changing the building’s colour without permission, installing umbrellas or canopies and bird cages on roofs, building an annexe without a permit, installing additional temporary structures, non-compliance with requirements for outdoor parking, and neglecting the regular maintenance of buildings.
Local order (23/92) on regulation of buildings, in accordance with Article 131, specifies that any building or part of a building that could fall and cause danger to its inhabitants must be removed or surrounded by fixed materials to protect residents. Non-compliance with this rule will lead to a fine of OMR300.
“The most prominent technical violation related to existing homes is neglecting the regular improvements and maintenance of homes. These violations affect the general aesthetic appearance,” an MM official said. Also, according to local order (23/92), a defaulting owner is required to pay a fine of OMR100 and ensure that maintenance work is completed.