Citing safety concerns, Qatar has told the public that homeowners, contractors and technicians will begin facing fines for illegally partitioning villas.
Many villa owners in Qatar have sought to increase their profits by constructing additional rooms within existing structures, in an effort to create additional units to rent.
The Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning said that such renovations forced contractors to adjust electrical wires and water pipes, causing potential hazards. Furthermore the municipality said that the partitioning caused adverse effects to infrastructure and public services.
Fines for contractors who ignore the warning may start at $2,750 and shoot upward to $27,500. Property owners may face fines ranging from $68 to $132 per square meter.
"Legal notices will be issued to those who have made illegal alterations by the municipality concerned," the ministry statement said, according to The Peninsula .
"No one will be spared, whether the violator is the owner of the property or occupant."
Consider yourself warned.