Several Farwaniya residents complain against illegal practices carried out by building janitors who reportedly take monthly fees from tenants  to park in places near their buildings.

According to a report published by Annahar yesterday, this issue can be found in several locations around Farwaniya, especially in block 6, where state-owned zones are divided into parking spaces that can only be used by renters for a fee they pay to their building janitor. The renters reportedly don’t have much choice when their rightful parking spaces are locked with steel chain that can only be opened by the janitors. Even if renters refuse to comply, the janitors will find residents of nearby building eager to get a free parking space in the crowded area regardless of the price.

“I pay KD10 each month to the janitor in addition to the KD5 for carwash in order to rent my own parking space”, said renter Mohammad Mustafa, who explained that his building’s janitor always argues that all buildings in the neighborhood are doing the same. And while hoping to see an intervention from the Kuwait Municipality to stop what is technically considered an illegal use of state property, Mustafa noted that he had no other choice but to accept the janitor’s stipulation “when I found out that parking spaces are already running out as soon as he put them for rent”.

Another renter, identified as Ahmad Awad, says that he can’t park outside his building because all of the parking spaces are rented to other people; including one resident who lives in a nearby building. “One night I parked on that certain space, but the janitor warned me the next day that I could find my vehicle with flat tires should I do the same thing again”, Awad said. “[The janitor] flat-out told me to pay him KD10 so that he finds me a spot to park my car”.