Pilgrims Lodging Rules and Executive Regulations Pertaining to Houses for Pilgrims

The Pilgrim Lodging Rules and the Executive Regulations Pertaining to the Houses Prepared for the lodgings of pilgrims

FIRST: The Pilgrim Lodging Rules:

Article 1

The Tawafa Establishments shall assist the pilgrims or their representatives to choose the appropriate housing and to facilitate renting them.

Article 2

The Landlords or the lessors shall provide the Tawafa Establishments with information about their houses which they wish to let during the pilgrimage season. This information shall include:

a) Location of the house and its address in full

b) Type of building

c) Number of floors and rooms available in each

d) A list of house contents

e) A copy of licensing the house for pilgrims lodging issued by the Housing Inspection Committee for that year

f) A copy of the lease contract signed between the original landlord and the lessor.

g) A copy of the Power of Attorney (if applicable).

Article 3

Leasing shall be made from the principal landlord or his legal attorney or from the tenant, whose term of rent is a full year.

Article 4

The lessee shall rent the house only to the pilgrims or their representatives.

Article 5

Lease contracts for house shall be made between landlords or their agents, or the lessors and the pilgrims or his direct representative. Establishments are to be notified about the houses which the two parties agreed to rent. The rent contracts are to be attested - free of charge - by the Establishments. These contracts are to be authenticated also by the Ministry of Pilgrimage.

Article 6

The Tawafa Establishments or their branch offices may not rent a house with the purpose of re-leasing it to the pilgrims or their representatives.

Article 7

Members of the Establishments and their branch offices may lease personally their privately owned houses, or such premises they have rented for the whole year, like any other landlords or lessors.

Article 8

The Tawafa Establishments or their branch offices may not make any profit, or receive certain percentages, commissions, or compensation under any context out of the pilgrim lodging lease contracts be it from the pilgrims or their representatives, or from the landlords or the lessors.

Article 9

The value of the rent is based on the agreement made between the landlords or the lessors and the pilgrims or their representatives, depending on the supply and demand conditions.

Article 10

The landlords or the lessors are committed to provide the housing with all required services such as water, electricity, cleaning, furniture, servants, maintenance and security as agreed between them and pilgrims or their representative. If the landlord or the lessor expressed his inability to provide such services or part thereof and was taken into consideration when fixing the rent, the concerned pilgrimage mission may contact any other party to provide such services as appropriate.

Article 11

The landlord of the lessor will deposit 15% of the rent with the Tawafa Establishment as a guarantee. The Establishment will use this security if the landlord or the lessor failed to meet his obligations stipulated in the contract and mentioned in the previous paragraph. This deposit must be included in the contract terms and will be refunded in full or partly to the landlord or the lessor after completion of the lease term and the submission of a certificate issued by the pilgrim or his representative confirming the fulfilment of obligations towards the pilgrims.

Article 12

The Ministry of Pilgrimage prepares a standard form for the pilgrim housing contract. This form covers the basic items and includes the foregoing stipulations. This form is being circulated to all Tawafa Establishments to be observed by all parties.

Article 13

The rent value shall possibly be paid in full upon signing the contract between the landlord or lessor and the pilgrim or his representative. If impossible, payment will be made then as follows:

a) 30% upon signing the contract

b) 40% upon the pilgrim's arrival and lodging at the house

c) 30% at least three days before the end of the lease term

Provided the pilgrim or his representative submits to the landlord or the lessor a bank guarantee equivalent to the second and the third payments mentioned in b and c above. The guarantee is to be issued by a local bank.

Article 14

a) if a mission or a pilgrim group is committed to a written contract with the landlord or the lessor and the advance payment was paid, the contract may be rescinded. The balance of the rent value must be paid unless such lodging will be detrimental to the pilgrims.

b) The landlord or the lessor may not lease the house again if committed with the pilgrim or his representative for whatever the reasons are.

Article 15

The landlord or the lessor may not rent housing units to a foreigner beyond his lodging needs throughout the year.

Article 16

The number of the pilgrims to be lodged in any rented house may not exceed the approved number in the house inspection certificate issued by the Inspection Committee on the Pilgrim lodging houses.

Article 17

The Ministry of Pilgrimage should coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the pilgrims who come from their countries unorganized in the form of missions or groups by urging the concerned countries to organize their pilgrims to come under official missions. These official missions will assume necessary arrangements for their pilgrims, including renting their houses.

Article 18

The lease contract shall be in several copies. The following parties are to be furnished with copies thereof:

The Ministry of Pilgrimage

The Tawafa Establishment that endorsed the contract

The Landlord or the Lessor

The Pilgrim Mission or the Pilgrims Representative

SECOND: The Executive Procedures of the Regulations Pertaining to the House Prepared for the Lodging of the Pilgrims

a) It is not permitted to lodge the pilgrims except in houses of a definite technical standard, general specifications, safety requirements, and sanitary rules in accordance with the Regulations of Buildings and Roads as well as the Regulations of Houses Prepared for the Lodging of Pilgrims, and with the instructions and orders issued for implementing these regulations and rules, provided a license is issued for lodging the pilgrims in them.

b) In both Makkah and Madinah there will be formed a principal committee called The Lodging Committee specialized in dealing with all matters pertaining to the lodging of pilgrims, and directly connected with the HH the area Amir.

c) The conditions pilgrim houses should have are:

1. The construction elements in both popular houses and concrete houses should be sound and unimpaired, and so designed as to bear the weights they are supposed to carry, not having any apparent faults.

2. The rooms should be over-looking the streets or open light shafts

3. the space set for each pilgrim should not be less than two and one half meters by one meter (2.5 x 1). Halls, kitchen and corridors should not be used for lodging the pilgrims.

4. Supplying electric cold water fountains at the rate of one for each floor, but if a floor contains more than four flats, water fountains should be increased. Paper cups should be provided.

5. Supplying each room with an air-conditioner suitable for its size.

6. Supplying enough containers for rubbish at the rate of one small plastic container for each room and a big one with cover for each flat. Rubbish plastic bags should also be provided.

7. The number set for each room in the license should be adhered to. The number set for each room by the committee should be written on the door of each room.

8. The kitchens, bathrooms, flats corridors, staircases and light shafts of the building should be cleaned around the clock.

9. Supplying fire-extinguishers (powder) of five kilos capacity for each flat. Also there should be supplied one pail along with one fire-extinguisher, of not less than eight kilos capacity, at the entrance of every building. This is along with supplying all the other safety means as the Civil Defense Department sees necessary.

10. Each flat should have a kitchen with a washing basin and an exhaust fan. The kitchen should not contain any draining pipes that appear to have any leaking.

11. The windows of both rooms and bathrooms should have insect proof wire screen.

12. The bathrooms should be sanitary, well-ventilated with working siphons. As to the popular buildings, they should have the same as far as it is technically possible.

13. Lighting in all parts of the building should be satisfactory.

14. The electric wiring should be in insulating pipes.

15. The built water tank should be reinforced and plastered. Roof fiberglass water tanks may be used.

16. Ground water tanks should have tight covers and should be raised above the ground, containing a float, a lock, and be faraway from any source of pollution.

17. The principal means of movement (staircases and lifts) and the horizontal ones (corridors inside and outside the flat) should fit the technical and well-known specifications. The lift should be faultless with good ventilation, stopping at the level of each floor. It should have a maintenance contract made with a specialist company.

18. As to the popular buildings, they should have all the technical, sanitary, and general safety requirements mentioned above. But they are relieved of the full finishing required in the reinforced buildings.