Muscat: The coastal region of Muttrah has topped in choices of residence as the majority preferred to stay in this historic beachfront compared to the other areas of the capital region, according to the Muscat Municipality.
In its report on rent agreement renewals, it is said that there have been as many as 3,323 new rent agreements in Muttrah while the existing agreements to the tune of 21,239 were renewed for next year, in the first half of 2023.
Statistics for the year 2023 further revealed by Muscat Municipality show that in the first half of 2023, residential contracts represented the highest percentage of both types followed by commercial contracts, while in the same period of the first half of 2022, approximately 747 new contracts were registered and 11,999 contracts were renewed.
This increase in the registration of contracts indicates that the awareness efforts exerted by Muscat Municipality to encourage the public to register rent agreements as it saves the rights of the parties of the contract determine the amount of the fee and the duration of the contract. All these would reduce the emergence of disputes later between landlords, investors, or tenants.
“People preferred a beachfront residence at an affordable price plus reachability, transportation, fish market, lesser cost of living and the like are major reasons for such a boom in the selection of Muttrah as the preferred housing destination,” a spokesperson from the civic body said.
Earlier this year, the Muscat Municipality had invited bids for the Muttrah Square project, a total revamp of the iconic area in Muscat. Its project plan had also won the inaugural Bilarab bin Haitham Award for Architectural Design.
As to the legality of the rental agreements, he said that anyone who violates the provisions of this law and the regulations and decisions implementing it shall be subjected to legal procedures as per Article 14 of the Muscat Municipality law No 38/2015, which is one of the legislative determinants and regulatory frameworks for the rental relationship between landlords and tenants.
“The punishment for anyone who violates the provisions of this law and the regulations and decisions implementing it shall include a fine of not less than RO 50, not more than RO 5,000, or imprisonment for not less than twenty-four hours, not more than six months, or by one of two penalties.”
For these reasons, Muscat Municipality emphasizes the need to register lease contracts with the competent municipality in order to preserve their rights and benefit the parties to the contract, avoid the penalty of a fine on them, and in order to achieve a fair tax distribution that enhances the sustainability and development of services.
Muttrah Square, designed by Abdulla al Bahri, Omaima al Hinai and Ahmed al Jahdhami, who won the first edition of the Bilarab award envisages to enhance the value of Muttrah with an iconic bridge in the shape of an arch looming over the middle of the square beside the sea.
Inspired by the sword of Imam al Salt bin Malik al Kharusi, the Muttrah Square aims to facilitate and create unique architectural projects in certain areas of the sultanate with distinctive architectural character that combines originality and contemporary elements and can be adopted on the ground.
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