Circular No. (4) of 2024
Regarding the Grace Period for Legalizing the Status of Existing Buildings Constructed Without Building Permits
To all building owners:
In accordance with the provisions of the Building Regulation Law No. (4) of 1983 and its executive regulations, and based on the Department's commitment to ensuring the structural integrity of buildings, providing security and safety, and protecting community members from risks,
And based on the requirements of the public interest,
We have issued the following circular:
Article (1)
Owners of existing buildings constructed without building permits or for which no approved plans can be found are granted a grace period to legalize the status of their buildings as follows:
- The grace period for submitting legalization applications shall be two years, starting from the date of issuance of this circular.
- No financial fines will be imposed during this grace period on existing buildings constructed without building permits that were erected before the date of issuance of this circular, unless a building violation had been issued for these buildings before the start of this grace period.
Article (2)
All owners of the aforementioned buildings must proceed with the procedures for submitting applications to legalize their status as follows:
- Appoint an engineering office in the Emirate to submit a request to legalize the existing status of buildings constructed without building permits to the concerned department according to the established regulations.
- All engineering offices in the Emirate, when submitting a request to legalize the status of existing buildings constructed without building permits, must attach all required documents and plans in accordance with Article No. (14) of the executive regulations of the Building Regulation Law No. (4) of 1983.
- If the technical study attached to the legalization application proves that the buildings or a part thereof do not comply with the current planning provisions or those in effect at the time of construction, the concerned department shall refer the application to the committee formed for this purpose to study the possibility of approving it, provided that it complies with safety and security standards, structural standards, and the general appearance according to the established regulations.
- If the technical study attached to the legalization application proves that the buildings or a part thereof are unfit for occupancy or have not been approved by the committee due to their violation of the current planning provisions or those in effect at the time of construction, the building owner must rectify the situation or remove the causes of the violation in a way that meets safety standards and conditions and the public interest. Otherwise, the concerned municipality will remove it in accordance with the provisions of Article No. (45) of the executive regulations of the Building Regulation Law No. (4) of 1983.
Article (3)
In the event that a building violation is identified and issued during inspection campaigns carried out by the concerned department, the building owner is granted a grace period of one year to apply for "legalization of an existing building's status" for private residential units and their annexes, and a grace period of six (6) months for all other types of buildings.
If the building owner does not apply for legalization within the period mentioned in the clause above, the financial fine will be collected, and they will be required to remove the causes of the violation according to the established procedures and regulations.
Article (4)
In all cases, buildings proven to be constructed without building permits after the issuance of this circular, or those whose owners did not apply to legalize their status during the stipulated two-year grace period or during the mentioned one-year period, are considered in violation of the provisions of the Building Regulation Law No. (4) of 1983. Their status will not be permitted to be legalized, and the procedures stipulated in the executive regulations of the Building Regulation Law will be taken against them.
Article (5)
This circular shall be effective from the date of its issuance and shall be published in the Official Gazette.
Issued on: 04/06/2024
Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport