Padel courts without functional certification must close, Jakarta authorities declare

Jakarta — The Jakarta Provincial Government has affirmed that padel courts without a Certificate of Functional Worthiness (SLF) must cease operations or are not permitted to operate.

“If there is no SLF, operation is not allowed and the facility must close,” stated Vera Revina Sari, Head of the Jakarta Department of Public Works, Spatial Planning and Land Affairs (Citata), during the sealing of a padel court in Jagakarsa, Jakarta, on Monday.

Vera emphasised that buildings without an SLF are obliged to halt operational activities. It is expected that once a building obtains an SLF, it can then be assured that the structure is suitable for use and operations can commence.

“So once a Certificate of Functional Worthiness is obtained, we are confident that the building can be used and people can conduct activities inside it, allowing it to operate specifically as a padel court,” she said.

She explained that every building must obtain Building Approval (PBG) before construction begins. The normal process for acquiring PBG typically requires approximately 28 days.

Buildings must have PBG prior to construction. “This way it can be determined what will be built, and afterwards it can be verified whether it complies or not,” she stated.

After construction is completed, the owner must obtain an SLF to certify that the building is fit for use.

She added that building permits are not merely administrative formalities but are also related to construction safety. However, some facilities lack even these permits.

“It might seem to some that this is ‘just a permit’, but this affects matters such as structural strength and so forth. If the proper permitting process is not followed and we do not conduct physical inspections, it can impact building integrity,” she explained.

The South Jakarta Administrative City Government has recorded that 104 padel courts in the area lack PBG permits. Additionally, 105 units hold valid permits, and 120 padel courts have faced enforcement action.