Beirut Building Collapse: Owner's Negligence or Obsolete Rent Laws?

An old apartment building in Beirut's Achrafieh neighborhood collapsed, killing two people including a 15-year-old girl. If you thought that the Lebanese blogosphere was going to let this slide without notice, your are sorely mistaken. Criticism and analysis ranges from private owners' negligence to indifferent government officials to, everyone's favorite topic, rent control laws that protect neither tenant nor landlord.

Shown strictly for illustrative purposes.

Beirut Spring [2]

Old Buildings Collapsing In Lebanon? Blame Rent-Control

Mustapha from Lebanon takes a shot at the rent control laws in Lebanon. Within certain situations, tenants can still pay "old rents". In the case of this specific building, the tenants pay 25,000 L.L. a month, which, for ten apartments, totals $166 overall. Now, that's a monthly fee of $166 to include a partial income for the landlord and for maintenance on the whole entire building. Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture? "Proponents of the rent law which allows people to pay “old rents” for certain buildings always mention “fairness” to poor people as one of the main reasons to keep it. Was it fair to them that the building collapsed on their heads because nobody cared enough to maintain it?"

A Separate State of Mind [3]

13 Comments The Achrafieh Building Collapse: An Observation

Elie from Lebanon makes several observations about the building collapse in Achrafieh. As a resident of the area, he is weary of what this may mean for relatives living in the same kind of buildings as this one. He eludes to comments architects have made on Twitter, stating that it was an inevitable occurrence. He asks, isn't it time that something is done about the rent laws in order to ensure the maintenance of old apartment buildings? "So in simple terms: the rental law in Lebanon is hurtful for both the tenant and the landlord. The former cannot really call the apartment his own and as such cannot really make it suitable for a 21st century lifestyle."

Lebanese Voices [4]

Dear President

It's not all rent control criticism. This Lebanese blogger addresses the Head of State himself. He states that instead of worrying about his seat at office, the Lebanese president himself should worry about innocent lives being taken due to faulty laws and private sector corruption. "Dear President. Be a citizen like us. Suffer from traffic. Electricity cuts. Contaminated water. Rents. Food. Petrol. Potholes. Do i ramble on? Yes this is a venting post, it is not the most objective post in the world and it’s not trying to be, but it is a call for humanity."

Blog Baladi [5]

We are all to blame...

Another Lebanese blogger believes that everyone is involved: the officials, the landlord and the tenants. No one is devoid devoid of responsibility. He states, that owners and residents should work together to improve living arrangements. "Having said all that, I urge all building owners and residents to warn the authorities of any old or new building in a bad shape and make sure their voices are heard by all means possible because Lebanon is not ready for more tragedies like this one."