If you’re searching for an apartment, the first person you have to deal with is the watchman who is also known as “Haris”. He is a person who is in charge of cleaning the building and guarding it, but most of the “Haris” thinks that they are the owner of the building. If you’re looking for an apartment or thinking of shifting, first thing you have deal with is the “Haris”.
If you want to hire an apartment you have to pay a minimum of 150 to 200 KD commission to the “Haris” as a hadiya (gift) and it is not over here, every month we have to pay him 5 to 10 KD as his service charge for cleaning the building and the surroundings.
Even after paying this amount he never cleans the building or the surroundings, in fact he feels he is the owner of the building or the boss of the tenants.
Whenever you need him he will never be available. Recently there were many cases of robberies, the most shocking part was it happened during day time because the thieves knew that this time most of the “Haris” go to sleep as they get up early in the morning to wash cars, so by the time everyone has gone to work around 8 am, he just goes to take a nap and the work of thieves become easier.
The worst part of it is no one dares to complaint against him because most of them don’t know who the owner is or where the estate agency is.
In some of the buildings without his permission you can’t invite your friends or relatives or celebrate any occasion or family gathering. But what can we do, we feel helpless because no one knows what to do and no one is there to listen to the complaints.
Sally dcosta had email me regarding her friends problem Sally is one of regular reader of KUD when her friend was looking for a flat to rent in Salmiya, The “Haris” of the building demand her 200 kwd as his commission or gift, and 10 kwd every month as a service charge for maintaining the cleanliness of the building we all face the same problem but until now no one had found the solution for it.
Written by Shaheen Sayyed
[email protected]


Leave a Reply to Divya Victor Raj Cancel reply