Sharjah balcony rule: 6,500 homes fined

Sharjah Municipality revealed 6,500 balcony-rule violations were issued in the second half of the year, totalling the fines collected to Dh3.25million.

Residents in the emirate are prohibited from hanging their laundry in balconies and violators are slammed with Dh500 fine.

According to Faisal Al Mulla, Director of the special unit at the municipality that conducts campaigns and inspections, hanging clothes in the balcony harms the beauty and cleanliness of the city.

Talking to ‘Emirates24|7’, he explained that residents in the emirate are disallowed by law from using their balconies for extra storage. These will incur penalties, he added.

Apart from the clothing line, even dish antennas are not allowed to be installed on balconies. “If we find dish antennas, we will charge violators Dh500, and the material will be confiscated.”

Al Mulla added residents are allowed to put up chairs and tables on the balcony, or potted plants or shrubs. “These should be suitable for the space. Residents must not crowd the area.”

Residents can even put up screens to block sunlight, but the space must not be used as an additional room or storage space.

The official informed that pamphlets and flyers explaining this rule and the implication of violations are being handed out to residents in the emirate.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.