Disruption worries after eviction order for single occupants in Muscat

Single people are worried that they may have to face eviction, as Muscat Municipality began implementing a ruling on single occupants living in residential areas.

MM said in an online statement on Tuesday that it is “in the process of carrying out the judgment against the owners of houses that host single residents in residential neighbourhoods without prior permission. And it urges violators to remove the violation within three days.”

“This rule applies to both Omanis and expats,” an MM official said.

An expat said, “Since it is the landlord and not the tenant who must obtain a permit, I am worried that my landlord did not, which means I could get evicted.”

Earlier this year, a residential property being used to house single expatriates, was raided by the MM and other authorities for violating laws. Article 31 of Local Order No. 23/92 prohibits housing workers in residential areas.

The municipality had said that it was planning special housing complexes for single expatriates in Bausher, Amerat and Mabella.

“When I am surrounded by families, I feel safe. Being a single woman, I worry about living in an area with single men,” Mariam, an expat living in Al Khoud, said.

Plans for housing complexes for single migrant workers in residential neighbourhoods were discussed at a Municipal Council meeting and approved. This came after the Municipal Council got complaints from residents in Al Amerat about the environmental pollution from industrial activities near residential units.