Berne Vella, Sliema
Foreign students staying in residential blocks
The alarming situation of Sliema residents and the total loss of peace in summer has become truly amazing with no authority effectively safeguarding their rights, as rightly highlighted by Madeline Gera (August 2).
Further to the problems raised by teenage students raging in hotel balconies, the situation is alarming with apartment owners having to live all summer with students housed in residential apartments, which are packed with young tourists with no host-families.
It has become very common for so-called “agents” to house these young tourists in residential blocks with no permits for such use and to the detriment of other owners in the blocks. These young tourists generally run amock day and night with loud music and shouting from balconies and roofs, rendering the lives of families, and particularly the elderly, hell. They expect their money’s worth after paying these cowboy pseudo-agencies, mostly unregulated under any law. These youths are squeezed into apartments, eight or 10 at a time, turning these residential blocks into shady (or shanty) hostels or boarding houses.
The authorities should intervene to regulate this sector immediately. Besides being unsustainable for all Sliema residents and decent tax-paying property owners, it is also detrimental to other legal tourism accommodation. This situation is also giving a very bad image of Malta to other tourists who are very often short-shrifted by these so-called agents and advertisers of accommodation via the internet who seem to fall under no regulation.
Law-abiding citizens and apartment owners call on the authorities to immediately safeguard their properties and lives and their much needed summer rest.
The situation of rental accommodation in residential apartment blocks should immediately be controlled by proper licensing, enforcement and amendment of condominium laws. It is a well-known secret that most of this letting goes undeclared for tax purposes. Tax authorities should take note prior to the coming budget tax measures. Maybe then such abusive renting of residential apartments will be controlled and regulated.
The tax, licensing and tourism authorities should get their act together and stop this abuse of Sliema residents’ rights and peace in blocks where the owners have put in their well-earned life savings.
Sliema residents and apartment owners should not be taken for granted any more nor called upon only at election time.
13 Comments
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JOe VELLa
Aug 11th 2010, 06:50
For the last three years I took it as a crusade the fact that Saturday and Sunday we have to stay up till 4 a.m. in an area as large as Gozo because of a local bully with his disco.
The police have been informed, politicians have been informed, although lot of sympathy is coming our way. Loud music we had and loud music we have.
It is not only Sliema residence with this problem, it is Malta at large.
Let us stand up and not just complain. I am one that will continue to fight yes fight for a 'no disco or happy go lucky noise after 1 a.m.
Have we any fiber as a nation to claim our old ways back?
E. Azzopardi
Aug 10th 2010, 22:15
This has been going on for ever and complaints have been abundant. Only solution is constant police patrols ON FOOT. But these students know that this is non existant and that they will NEVER meet any police in the streets. Two years ago this was discussed amongst many other things but as in many other cases, this never materialised.
But then nobody is listening to the citizens pleas. And I am convinced that this is true.
Charles Sammut
Aug 10th 2010, 18:57
One can expect a bit of rowdiness from teenagers but it sometimes gets over the top. Like urinating on passersby from hotel balconies. Or dropping long pieces of burning toilet paper onto the street. All this in front of the surveillance camera fixed near the Casino arch in Paceville. Or are these cameras used only to issue tickets by remote control to unsuspecting motorists? Same with the wardens. They only see cars.
Paul Borg
Aug 10th 2010, 17:14
Beggars can't be choosers. These students are the only boost to the economy that is on the increase. They spend a lot more then a normal holiday, they come for longer periods and probably they will return on there own the following year for a reunion with their class mates. We have the same thing in Swieqi, and nobody complaints cause everyone has to make sacrifices in order to earn that extra buck. If they are being noisy, call the landlord or the police and they will quiet down. For God's sake wheren't you ever young. The first time I went to America I through the TV out of the window, it was a cliche back in the eighties. Just let them have fun so they'll come back to spend more money.
c smith
Aug 10th 2010, 20:34
First off i know people in Swieqi and they have been complaining. Secondly i am not making an extra buck as you put it, i am actually losing out because i cant function with the few hours sleep i get with them making a noise every night., Yes i was young but my parents taught me how to behave so i would have never done and never did things like that.
Oh and btw its threw not through so i can see why you would act exactly the same as these people with that type of spelling...
Madeleine gera
Aug 10th 2010, 15:03
well said Bernie! of course its been happening every summer without fail. The law is being breached and some people have to answer for this! its very straightforward. All this talk about Malta being a noisy country so lump it is nonsense! all this pseudo reasoning that choices have to be made if we want tourists to come her coz they bring money.does that mean we just have to grin and bare it? Wow! we cud justify a whole load of antisocial stuff that way. We live in a small place and its time we learnt to live with each other in a civil way . Just as young tourists who come here have to abide by our laws like everybody else.
M Camilleri
Aug 10th 2010, 14:12
This is not only happening in Sliema but all over the Island. Short lets in Residential Blocks are simply a no go. The MTA should first inform the residents of any block prior to giving any licences. The value and peaceful living of these Residential apartment blocks is seriously being threatened.
Sergio Vassallo
Aug 10th 2010, 13:41
The authorities are only waiting for someone to take the law in their own hands before stopping all this rabble from coming to Malta because we are all fed up with them and their antics fitting only of savages, but then it will be too late.
c smith
Aug 10th 2010, 12:06
I woke up at 5 this morning in sir arturo mercieca st with shouting and screaming and singing, i tried to block it out but it just got louder and louder. I shouted at them to keep quiet but to no avail they just laughed and started singing even louder.
Students staying at the diplomat were leaving and others were saying goodbye to them and they thought it was a good idea to make a massive noise in this residential area at 5 in the morning. Never thinking that people like me had to wake up at 7 or even earlier to work.
I couldnt go to sleep after that and lay awake for ages listening to them until they eventually left. I want to know why the hotel staff did not tell them to be quiet. If they have no manners and no regard the hotel should have because they are making a bad name for themselves and i am sure none of the real tourists staying there will be returning. Peaceful island getaway?? I think not.
m vella
Aug 10th 2010, 13:31
Mr Smith you should have phoned the owner of the hotel at home and woke him up as well,give them some of there own medicine,wake up Sliema fight back
Claire Busuttil
Aug 10th 2010, 15:40
I would have called Sliema police !!....next time pls do so!
HDempster
Aug 10th 2010, 11:52
@Vince De bono . What a laugh " You need to call the police about the noise etc" . do you think that we dont do this , but they never turn up or they turn up after the rowdy crowds would have moved off .
Vince DeBono
Aug 10th 2010, 10:29
The thinly stretched MTA enforcement section cannot go walking around the country - or even just Sliema - looking for such accomodation 'infringements'. They can act on a report though. So unless this letter is followed up, it will get you nowhere.
NOTE also that what is being claimed above IS illegal. If not, you need to contact the police about noise etc.