Businesses In Residential Investment Buildings Scare Some Families Away

06 March 2019 Kuwait

At a time when real-estate investment sector is suffering from a clear crisis due to drop in the demand and increase in the number of vacant apartments, it is facing a problem of another kind these days, reports Al-Rai daily.

It has become commonplace in recent times to see dozens of realestate investment buildings with the lower floors (first and second floors) occupied for different commercial activities. In a field trip conducted by the daily, caretakers of some buildings, which have started witnessing an exodus of tenants, confirmed that many people are no longer interested in commercial activities that are active in the lower floors of residential buildings, especially salons and massage institutes for both men and women.

They said, “There are many vacant apartments in such buildings, because the tenants do not obtain the privacy and comfort they seek in their apartments for many reasons and considerations”. For example, Abu Rami, a tenant in a building where the first floor has been rented for a ladies’ salon, complained of car parking problem. He said, “The situation is no longer bearable. Every day when I get back from work, I cannot find a place for my car. I spoke to the caretaker and the owner more than once, but nothing has changed.”

Abu Firas, a tenant in a building that has a spa and massage center on some of its floors, said he is deeply disturbed by what he describes as unhealthy phenomena. He explained, “The customers of the massage center, mostly men, patronize the center until early hours of the morning. Some of them wear inappropriate clothes such as shorts and jerseys at times. Our families and children see these men when entering or leaving the building.”

Abu Firas revealed that he “decided to move to another building that is purely used for residential purposes and is suitable for families without the presence of any businesses that attract women or men.” On the other hand, the caretakers said the owners are seeking to compensate for the exit of families by attracting singles to fill in the vacant apartments. They said the high rental value of the commercial activities in these buildings is forcing owners to sacrifice the comfort of families, adding, “Families do not trust their children in these buildings because they lose the sense of privacy that they should have”.

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