Article 417 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 417 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثاني: التزامات المؤجر
The article allows the lessor to withhold delivery of the leased item until he receives the rent due in advance.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للمؤجر أن يمتنع عن تسليم المأجور حتى يستوفي الأجرة المعجلة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 417 explained in plain English
This article gives the lessor a means of protecting his right to the rent: he may withhold delivery of the leased item until he receives the rent due in advance.
It is clear from the text that this right is tied specifically to the rent due in advance, that is, rent that was agreed to be paid beforehand. Article 410 allows the rent to be required in advance, deferred or paid in installments; if the parties require payment in advance, the lessor may make delivery conditional on receiving it.
The practical consequences are:
- If the lessee does not pay the rent due in advance, the lessor may delay delivery until he receives it.
- The text speaks of rent due in advance, and does not address deferred rent whose time of payment has not arrived.
This right is an exception to the lessor's basic obligation in Article 416 to deliver the leased item and its accessories in a condition fit for full use of the benefit. Article 418 also subjects delivery of the leased item to the rules on delivery of the thing sold unless otherwise agreed.
The practical advice for the lessee is to make sure to pay what was agreed to be paid in advance, and for the lessor to state in the contract the amount of the rent due in advance and its date.
To assess a particular situation, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in real estate or civil cases.
Practical example
Faisal agreed with the owner of an apartment in Khobar to pay six months' rent in advance upon taking possession. Faisal did not pay the amount, so the owner refused to hand over the key. The owner is entitled to do so until he receives the rent due in advance.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 417 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Is the lessor entitled to refuse to deliver the apartment before the rent is paid?
He is entitled to withhold delivery until he receives the rent due in advance.
Does this right apply to deferred rent?
The text ties the right of withholding specifically to the rent due in advance.
More articles on Lease Contract
- Article 287
The article prevents set-off between a depositary's debt against the depositor and the deposit, or between a borrower's debt against the lender and the loaned item, except by agreement of the parties.
إذا كان للمودع لديه دينٌ على المودع أو كان للمستعير دين على المعير، فلا تقع المقاصة بين الدين والوديعة أو بين الدين والشيء المعار ولو كان الدين من نوع أي منهما
- Article 296
The article sets a period of 5 years after which a claim is not heard against a party who denies it, for the rights of the liberal professions and recurring periodic rights, with an exception of 10 years for the proceeds owed by a bad-faith possessor and endowment proceeds.
دون إخلال بالنصوص النظامية، لا تُسمع الدعوى على المنكر بانقضاء (خمس) سنوات في الحقوق الآتية: أ- حقوق أصحاب المهن الحرة، كالأطباء والمحامين والمهندسين عما أدوه م
- Article 407
The article defines a lease as a contract by which the lessor enables the lessee to benefit from a non-consumable thing for a specified period in return for rent.
الإيجار عقد يُمَكِّنُ بمقتضاه المؤجر المستأجر من الانتفاع مدةً معينةً بشيءٍ غير قابل للاستهلاك مقابل أجرةٍ.
- Article 408
The article allows the leased item to be a thing, a usufruct or a right, specified individually or by type, and also allows it to be an undivided share.
1- يصح أن يكون المأجور عينًا أو منفعةً أو حقًّا؛ سواء كان معيَّنًا بالذات أو بالنوع. 2- يصح أن يكون المأجور حصَّةً شائعة.
- Article 409
The article allows it to suffice to state sound bases for determining the rent, and allows the rent to be a specified sum together with a known percentage of the output or profit.
يصح أن يقتصر تقدير الأجرة على بيان أسسٍ صالحةٍ تتحدد بمقتضاها، ويصح أن تكون بمبلغٍ معيَّنٍ مع نسبةٍ معلومةٍ من الناتج أو من الربح.
- Article 410
The article allows a lease contract to require that the rent be paid in advance, deferred or paid in installments.
يصح اشتراط تعجيل الأجرة أو تأجيلها أو تقسيطها.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.