Drying Laundry on Balconies Can be Fined RO 5,000

The Muscat Municipality has stressed the prohibition of drying laundry on balconies and whoever violates this regulation will have to pay between RO 50 to RO 5,000 because the Municipality aims to maintain the aesthetics of the urban facade of the city. 

According to Article 14 of Muscat Municipality law, drying laundry on balconies is a violation and the person will either have to pay the fine or be imprisoned for a period between 24 hours or no more than six months. 

The Municipality issued a statement "The municipality stresses on Article 32 of the Local Order No. 92/23 for the organisation of buildings in the governorate, as well as the requisites to be taken into account for drying clothes on balconies of residential buildings overlooking public streets."

According to the statement, laundry cannot be dried on balconies, unless they are covered by either a 'mashrabiya' (projecting oriel window) or a wooden mesh. The statement also instructs on the exact measurements of the mesh: its perforation should be no more than  1.50cm x 1.50cm wide, the concrete openwork should have a minimum depth of 10cm, and perforations for the open work should be no more than 7 cm².

The statement also regulates that any multi-story building with more than three residential suites should provide a balcony for each unit to dry clothes and these balconies should be covered with one of the above elements. A metal mesh is not to be used to cover balconies or windows.