AZE.US
Residents of a 12-story apartment building in central Baku say new apartments are being built on the roof of their building and are already being offered for sale, raising questions over who approved the construction.
The complaint concerns a residential building owned by MTK Monolit on Ashig Molla Juma Street. One of the residents contacted Xəzər Xəbər, claiming that the attic and technical areas of the building, which should belong to apartment owners as common-use property, had been handed over for the construction of new residential units.
According to the resident’s lawyer, apartments are being built above his client’s home in a mansard area that was not part of the approved project.
“This part of the building is a common-use area belonging to the apartment owners. It has no connection to the MTK,” the lawyer said.
Residents also claim that gas, water, sewage and electricity lines for the newly built units were connected illegally through the utility systems of neighboring buildings and lower-floor residents.
According to the complaint, similar construction work was being carried out in four buildings. After residents appealed to the relevant authorities, work was stopped in three buildings, while construction allegedly continued in one.
The residents say around six apartments are being built in each building. They also claim that some buyers said they purchased the spaces for 1,200-1,500 manats per square meter.
A representative of the company named in the complaint told journalists that the work was fully legal, consistent with the project and coordinated with the relevant authorities. The company representative said the mansard was part of the original project and that no additional construction was being carried out on the roof.
However, Xəzər Xəbər reported that when its journalists went up to the 12th floor, they saw construction work taking place. The report also noted that ads for the sale of mansard-type apartments in the building had appeared on social media.
A person who introduced himself as the owner of the mansard area, Ilkin Rahimov, told Xəzər Xəbər that the work had been coordinated with official bodies and that all utility meters had already been installed in the apartments.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations said it had reviewed complaints from residents about the opening of additional window spaces and the construction of extra apartments in the attic and technical areas of two 12-story buildings built by MTK Monolit.
The ministry said inspections were carried out on the roof sections of the buildings. It added that letters had been sent to the MTK management and relevant state agencies regarding construction work that was carried out illegally and outside the approved project.
The State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture also said appeals had been sent to the relevant state bodies for appropriate measures to be taken.
But the key question remains unanswered: if apartments are being built legally in the attic and technical area of a residential building in Baku, which state agency gave the approval?
AZE.US