Owners Be Aware « SJ Echo

Wednesday, 1 September 2010

Owners Be Aware

No conversion of residential property to commercial rule stays in Subang Jaya

OWNERS of landed residential property within the Subang Jaya Municipality will not be allowed to convert it into commercial lots.
The ruling which has long been upheld by MPSJ has not been changed contrary to believe that it had been relaxed to allow properties along highways and major roads to be converted for commercial use.
MPSJ councillor Roslan Shahir said the council found no reason to allow such conversions as there were ample available commercial properties for businesses to operate from.
“We only allow kindergartens and day care centres to operate from semi-detached, corner of link-houses, bungalows or end-lots with land. “
“Kafa (religious schools) are allowed to operate from residential properties temporarily while awaiting their own building to be approved by the Selangor Religious Department,” he said.
Roslan said under the council’s revised guidelines, those which qualify to apply would have to seek written approval from neighbouring house owners.
“Under the new guidelines, the house owner would have to seek written approval from owners of three units on all sides of his property. The neighbours must approve of his plan to convert it into a kindergarten or day-care centre,” he said.
Roslan said a house owner who had renovated his semi-detached property in Subang Jaya with the intention of using it as a commercial property had been slapped with a compound and also ordered to cease all works.
The RM25,000 compound was issued under Section 70(12) of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133).
“Owner cannot plead ignorance of the existing bylaw,” he said, adding that the council’s One Stop Centre committee had rejected the application, which was submitted after renovation works had started on the house.
Fellow councillor Keshminder Singh who also sits in the OSC said the onus was on the purchaser to be aware that the law forbids conversion of residential property to commercial.
“We disallow conversion because we want to avoid problems experienced in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya,” he said.
Roslan said even kindergartens were required to renew their licence to operate from the residential property annually.
“It’s not a permanent policy to allow the use of residential units,” he added.