The building and zoning codes applied to the construction of commercial villas are more stringent than those in effect for villas built purely for private use. The survey revealed that many of the 1,000 commercial villas built with permits applicable for private residences offer supporting facilities in keeping with five-star hotels with rents of Rp. 5 million or more per night.
The survey was conducted in stages and showed how disjointed and the confused state of government procedures in the granting of building permits, bearing in mind that permits granted for tourist accommodation are linked to the number of rooms planned for the subject property.
From the 1,000 villas surveyed, less than 10% were actually owed by a Balinese. Foreigners using nominee Indonesian land owners owned the rest.
Also Members of the Jembrana House of Representatives looking after the construction of two beach-side commercial villas in their district that violate setback rules from the high water mark. The official survey discovered two villas standing too close to the high water mark: Villa Ecco and Villa Melaya International Resort. While the Villa Ecco apparently holds all legal permits and licenses, the Villa Melaya International Resort, built by an English investor, has been in operation since last year but reportedly has no valid building permit.
How two villas can be built in violation of setback rules from the seashore and how one villa can obtain a license while another cannot.