What do you pay yours? (up to date answers much appreciated)
What services are inclusive of this?
I am aware there is no fixed answer but I would like to know what others are dealing with.
Ta
Tareq Member # 18033
posted
Hey cheeky...
They can help you find services if you are looking around for something. They can receive a message for you when you are outside and someone came to you leaving a message. They can bring you some vegetables from the market.
They might be useful for some people but for me I do not use them a lot I do every thing myself.
I do pay mine about 50 LE a month and I can pay some tips.
The services here they do is to clean the floor. They can bring the electrician to fix the elevator when it needs maintainence.
Dzosser Member # 9572
posted
They scan us when we walk in and out carrying our goodies, they drink tea most of the day and watch TV, ogle at every female within their field of vision, perpetually swap mobile phones and try new ring tones (religious stuff and azan), eavesdrop at our conversations since they're inevitably there at the entrance of the damn building when we bump into neighbours, they do the stuff Tareq posted and provide us with all the building's gossip.. I pay each a 50 pound note per month ( we've got 3 of them serving 24 flats) some flats pay 20-30 EGP (grumpy old tenants), I do this because they carry mineral water cartons and heavy stuff (suitcases) whenever I'm in need.
They're essential..
Cheekyferret Member # 15263
posted
Thanks for responding...
I pay the same as you guys and mine is a mix between the two... I just wondered if I was missing something as a friend of mine commented yesterday that mine is taking the mickey... in reality I don't think he is... mine is an old dude who just cleans and passes me my mail etc. He is a little nosey about certain things but he is not a door Hitler who stops my friends coming and going as some of my friends experience.
The only excess I pay is for the water bill to be split between all apartments quarterly (30le a quarter) and for the communal electric on the stairs which is like 3le a month!
I do pay him tips to take my rubbish as there is a zabaleen dude who comes round and he has cottoned on that I live here and he knocks nigh on every day and sometimes at around midnight!! So I let my bowaab have the cash to either collect my garbage himself or to give to the guys to save me opening my door at night.
*Dalia* Member # 13012
posted
I used to pay similar rates as mentioned above, 30 – 50 LE plus a bit for electricity in the hallway etc. In buildings with very expensive apartments rates can be higher though; I once stayed in a building where the average rent was about $2500, the bauwab received 100 LE per month from each tenant.
In general, I don't like the whole bauwab system and am very happy that I now live in a small private building without bauwab.
Cheekyferret Member # 15263
posted
In my last place we paid 100le Dalia and the Bowaab was excellent... he was really helpful and always smiling Lovely guy.
Back in the 90's my family and I lived next to the Palace and we had armed security outside our gate and no one was permitted to enter into our building without a copy of their passport being handed over at least an hr prior to their arrival! Great to feel so safe, nightmare when we had partys!
I am in 2 minds about the system, 1 I think that some people demean them, abuse their role and frankly treat them like slaves but at the end of the day I also think that people need work and many like the security.
My Mom's building don't use the word 'bowaab' and the dude there is called the 'Manager'
I spoke to my landlady last night and she said that my bowaab is in his 70s... this is quite possibly the only work he will find.
*Dalia* Member # 13012
posted
quote:Originally posted by Cheekyferret:
I am in 2 minds about the system, 1 I think that some people demean them, abuse their role and frankly treat them like slaves but at the end of the day I also think that people need work
Yeah, those are my sentiments as well. I also find it depressing to walk into an expensive apartment building where people live in spacious luxury flats and see a bauwab and his family living in a tiny, dirty space, beside the garage etc. But then, yes, some are glad to have a roof over their head and a job.
Personally I don't like the fact that there's someone always around monitoring my each and every move, banging on my door at odd hours and demanding money for this or that, trying to get into my apartment whenever I have a workman over and so on.
I've never used a bauwab for any kind of service except going to pay a gas/electricity bill occasionally. Don't need or want anyone carrying my groceries upstairs, picking up my makwa etc. …
tigerlily_misr Member # 3567
posted
quote:Originally posted by Cheekyferret: and the dude there is called the 'Manager'
This would make him the 'modeer' .... ah it's nice to remember words like this.
A good relationship with your bowab from the day you move in until the day you move out is highly essential. Treat him respectfully and friendly but not too friendly, set rules in the begining you let him know while you forward a good tip at the same time and I promise you will be treated well.
I moved a lot within Cairo, I made my experiences haha!!!!
Shareen Member # 989
posted
I pay my bowab 50LE a month too. He cleans the communal areas, watches out for strangers entering the building and questions them if he does not know them, but in a nice way. He takes my rubbish too. I tip him extra for things like paying my phone and electrictity. Or if he helps carrying stuff, things like that. Only 6 flats in my building, not all of which are long term lets, so his income is not that high. Lovely man though...... I would miss him if he wasn't here
Dzosser Member # 9572
posted
Our bawabs are insured and are prohibited to bring their families or breed chickens in their quarters, they've got their TV and fridge and we send them food/fruits from the farm whenever possible or if we've got guests or on various occasions like the feast (mutton). The garbage is collected by the zabal from our fire escape stairs, we pay for that service 8 EGP monthly with our regular electricity bill, no zabaleen thumping at our door.
Exiiled Member # 17278
posted
I've had all kinds of bowabs. One I rarely saw but always came around the 1st of every month demanding his pay. In all I've only liked one, and that was the bowab at the last place or the place I lived in the longest. Most of my problems initially were over female friends and female guests. Before getting engaged (final time) I had – let's say an active social life. The bowabs pretend to be super righteous people when all it came down to was money, more like extortion. In Egypt it's a given, you're a young man, unmarried, and one of the issues is always bringing up females to the flat, particularly Egyptians. This is sometimes mentioned during contract negotiations (for me at least). Complicating matters was my cook, who was more like a butler, where I went he went. He always caused tensions one way or another with the bowabs. They were troubled by the fact that he was telling them what to do and more importantly he got everything for me. They saw him as cutting their rizq. He would go down have tea with them, offer cigarettes and get the 411, as if I cared which village they came from or what their life story is. This guy caused more problems than I did. Overall a bowab's primary objective is to make money, once I accepted this fact, I never had an issue again. Pay wise I always paid more, because 50 L.E is what $10. My last bowab had a family at the residence and I would always give him and his family all sorts of things like groceries,milk, clothes, etc. He was a gentleman! And wept when I left Egypt.
posted ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Lovely guy.![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
.... ah it's nice to remember words like this.