- JEDDAH: Buying single apartments in buildings is something many Saudis do not like due to the absence of a clear law on who is responsible for service and maintenance.
- The problem is exacerbated by the fact that most apartment owners refuse to share maintenance costs with other owners, something that leads to a myriad of problems.
Azizah Mansour, owner of Azizah Mansour Real Estate Company in Jeddah, said Saudi apartment owners usually shy away from service and maintenance fees. “Buying single apartments in a building is something that many Saudis do not like. There is an absence of a clear law that ensures their rights as owners and divides maintenance and service fees among apartment owners,” she said. “We receive many complaints from owners after selling apartments regarding maintenance fees, which include water, sewage and general maintenance. Because of this, we decided to charge owners an annual maintenance fee,” she added.
“However, after beginning the new system, we found owners reluctant to pay. We decided to charge SR7,000 in annual maintenance. The amount is for general maintenance and other costs such as water, electricity, sewage, lighting etc,” she added.
Most apartment owners refuse to pay the fee, saying it is too much and that they may not benefit from it. Some real estate companies bear the maintenance responsibility for the first year and then oblige owners to pay after that. “Middle class people are the ones who refuse to pay the annual fee — this often leads to problem among neighbors,” said Mansour, adding that it is because of this that people are hesitant to buy single apartments.
Ayman Bukhari, a young Saudi engineer, expressed his anger at the current system. “Realtors are in the habit of constructing apartment buildings consisting of many small apartments. Instead of having six large apartments in one building, they’re making 10. Because of this, it is very difficult to reach an agreement with so many owners,” he said.
“Most of the time, we disagree and end up with only five out of 10 owners paying,” he added.
Jeddah municipality has drawn a list of important procedures that need to be followed by building owners to ensure the comfort and safety of residents. According to the municipality, once an owner sells an apartment, he is no longer responsible for maintenance.
“Increasing the number of stories will not be done randomly; building owners are required have to take into consideration important factors such as water, electricity, sewage and other issues,” said Ali Babair, general manager of the Planning and Construction Department at the Jeddah Municipality.