20
workers or more
The threshold, across the whole entity and all branches.
Licensed capacity must cover the workers registered in Qiwa.
Saudi Shared Housing Safety Regulations:
Worker Accommodation
License Guide (2027)
Companies with 20 or more workers must house them in licensed group accommodation
by 1 February 2027
Check in 2 minutes whether your building qualifies.
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Summary
At a glanceBefore the deadline
4 m²
per person in the bedroom
Minimum bedroom space, maximum 10 people per room.
Deadline
1
February
2027
1 bathroomper 8 residents
Toilet, sink and shower for every 8 residents.
Suspended
commercial registration
The penalty, plus Qiwa services such as visas and transfers stopped.
Deadline
Who is affected on1 February 2027?
If you have 20 or more workers, then yes, you're covered.
Saudi establishments with 20 or more targeted workers must house them in licensed group accommodation by 1 February 2027.Count your workers across all branches.
The National Program for Developing Group Housing for Individuals, chaired by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, set this final phase on 29 October 2026. It covers every establishment with 20 workers or more; larger ones (250+ workers) were brought in first, from September 2025.
September 2025Larger establishments required
29 October 2026Final phase announced
1 February 2027Final deadline for 20+ workers
0days left until the deadline
What are the two waysto comply?
License your own building
Meet the worker accommodation requirements below and apply for a group housing license on Balady. Best if your building sits on commercial land and is close to compliant.
Check if my building qualifies
Rent beds in licensed housing
Contract a provider that already holds a license; you need no license of your own. Fastest if your building fails the location or safety rules.
House my workers with Mnzil
Requirements
What are the worker accommodation requirementsin Saudi Arabia?
Saudi worker accommodation (also called labour accommodation) needs at least 4 m² of bedroom per person, no more than 10 people per room and one full bathroom for every 8 residents.
4 m²per person
10people per room, max
8residents per bathroom
Housing type
Three categories:
- (A) A building up to 23 m high: a residential or apartment building, villa or house.
- (B) A walled compound with gates.
- (C) Mobile cabins on a project site, for 1 year (renewable).
- The type is on your building license (رخصة البناء).
- A warehouse, office or shop must first be converted and permitted as housing.
Bedrooms
- At least 4 m² per person.
- Maximum 10 people per room.
- No cooking in bedrooms.
- No washing machines in bedrooms.
Bathrooms
For every 8 residents:
- A toilet.
- A sink.
- A shower.
Food and common area
- A central kitchen or meal service.
- A rest and dining room of at least 0.7 m² per person.
Health
- An isolation room.
- A nurse for 1,000+ residents.
- A clinic for 5,000+ residents.
Fire safety
- Fire detection and alarm system.
- Fire extinguishers, fire blankets, sprinklers and fire hoses, all mandatory.
- Valid safety license (رخصة سلامة).
- Civil Defense approval.
- An approved evacuation plan.
- Extinguishers no more than 23 m apart.
- Emergency exits lit for 90 minutes.
Location
- Commercial, mixed-use or light-industrial land.
- Faces one street at least 30 m wide, or two streets with the wider at least 30 m and the narrower at least 12 m.
- At least 300 m from the nearest hospital and school.
- Outside heritage and military zones.
Laundry
- A laundry room or a laundry service for residents.
Light and air
- Windows of at least 8% of the floor area.
- Half of the window area can open.
- HVAC with filters.
Operations
- A full-time Saudi supervisor.
- CCTV.
- A daily cleaning log.
- Men's and women's housing fully separate.
Water
- Safe drinking water.
- Tanks that last at least 5 days.
- Tanks cleaned every 6 months.
Parking (urban)
- 1 car space per 40 residents.
- Bus parking for half of the residents.
No requirement matches that word. Try another one.
Already permitted as housing?
If your building is already permitted as collective or staff housing, it's exempt from the location rules.
Does your building meet these?
Check in 2 minutes
Balady
How do you get a group housing licenseon Balady?
A group housing license takes 1–5 days on Balady once the building is ready. Six steps:
1 – 5days to issue
- 1Qiwa
Count your workers
Count your workers registered in Qiwa across all branches.
- 2Free
Check the location
Check the location with Balady's free restricted-areas service.
- 3Requirements
Measure and fix the building
The usual changes:
- Capacity: beds per room and bathrooms
- Fire and life safety systems
- Safety approvals and license
- Health and services
- Daily operations
- Removing what's prohibited
- 4Civil Defense
Get safety approvals
Get Civil Defense approval and an evacuation plan from a registered engineering office.
- 590 days
Apply on Balady
Apply with “Issue a Collective Housing License for Individuals”, your CR, title deed or lease, property details and photos; finish within 90 days of initial approval.
- 6Renewal
Operate and renew
Keep capacity above your Qiwa headcount and amend the license as you grow.
What happens ifyou don't comply?
Without a valid license covering its registered workers, an establishment's commercial registration can be suspended. It can also lose Qiwa services such as visas and worker transfers, and face fines during field inspections. It may even lead to the building being vacated.
Talk to an expert
The announcement doesn't define “targeted workers”. Licensed capacity is checked against the workers registered to your establishment in Qiwa, so start from that number.
Usually not, unless the plot is commercial or mixed-use, sits on an approved commercial street, or already has a permit as collective housing.
Yes. Every form of worker housing needs a group housing license: buildings, walled compounds (labor camps) and cabins on project sites.
Check the provider's Balady license and capacity, sign a contract for the beds, site and term, and record it through Balady's “Certificate of Proof of Collective Housing” service.
Balady lists 1–5 days for a complete application. Preparing the building and safety approvals usually takes longer.
No. The requirement applies to establishments with 20 or more workers.
Yes. Any shared housing an establishment provides for its workers falls under the group housing rules, whatever it is called.
The 29 October 2026 announcement doesn't publish fine amounts. The stated consequences are commercial registration suspension, stopped Qiwa services and recorded violations.
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Key termsand official sources
Group housing for individuals
The official Saudi term for licensed shared worker housing: السكن الجماعي للأفراد.
Balady
The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing platform that issues, renews and amends licenses.
Qiwa
The Ministry of Human Resources platform where workers are registered; linked to Balady.
Ejar
The Real Estate General Authority platform where lease contracts are documented. If the housing is rented, you need the lease details when applying for the license on Balady.