Tangerang tough on converted housed

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

"It is prohibited to convert residences into commercial premises." The warning signs placed by the Tangerang regental administration along the main road of Bintaro housing estate in Pondok Aren district were all new, but not the prohibition.

Although Bylaw No. 7/2000 on building permits that outlaws the conversion of a building was enacted five years ago, many Bintaro residents claimed they were not aware of it before they turned their houses into business premises.

It is a common sight along the main road stretching from sector I to sector IX to see houses that have been transformed into restaurants, mini markets, laundromats, building material stores, drug stores, bakeries, travel agents and even consultant offices.

Budi Wijaya, 45, who used part of the house to build a seafood restaurant in 2003, claimed that he had no knowledge about the regulation until he read the warning signs.

"My business is running well, but I was never told that it is prohibited to use the house for commercial purposes," he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"I don't have enough money to rent a place in the business district ... I will probably have to close the restaurant," he said, adding that the restaurant was the source of income for the family, 10 restaurant workers and one parking attendant.

As the houses along the main road Jl. Bintaro Utama do not have enough parking space for customers, cars were seen parking on both sides of road and caused traffic congestion as they claimed half of the eight-meter wide road.

Head of the Tangerang Building and Settlement Agency, Muhamad Hidayat, said that the violation of building permit use also occurred in Lippo Karawaci and Bumi Serpong Damai housing complexes.

"The illegal conversion does not only violate the bylaw on building permits, but it also disrupts the city's regional spatial plan," he said.

"Moreover, it causes heavy traffic in the areas, the emergence of a social gap between the businesspeople and their neighbors, not to mention how much the administration loses in taxes," Hidayat added.

The agency will send warning letters to the owners of the converted houses in the three housing estates and summon the developers who violated the city spatial plan.

"To enable the house owners to continue their businesses there, they must apply for new permits. If they fail to do so in a certain period of time, the agency will demolish the premises as the consequence," he said.

Separately, Deden Sugandhi, the administration assistant who supervises physical development, said that he had prepared steps to demolish illegal business sites owned by residents.

"I will not compromise with permit offenders. We have demolished five churches and a mosque in Becongan Indah housing complex in Curug district because they violated land use regulations."