Article 429 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 429 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثالث: التزامات المستأجر
The tenant pays rent on the agreed dates; otherwise on delivery of the property or at the start of each period. No rent is due for any period before delivery unless the tenant caused the delay.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يلتزم المستأجر بأن يؤدي الأجرة في المواعيد المتفق عليها، فإن لم يتفق على المواعيد التزم بأدائها عند تسليم المأجور، وإذا كانت مدة عقد الإيجار مقسَّمة على فتراتٍ زمنيَّة التزم بأدائها في بداية كل فترةٍ زمنيَّة.
2- لا تُستحق الأجرة عن مدةٍ انقضت قبل تسليم المأجور؛ ما لم يكن التأخر في التسليم بسبب المستأجر.
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 429 explained in plain English
This article regulates when the tenant pays rent and for which period it is due.
First: payment dates.
- The rule is what the parties agreed in the contract.
- If they did not agree on dates, the tenant must pay the rent on delivery of the leased property.
- If the contract term is divided into periods (such as months or half-year installments), the tenant must pay at the start of each period.
Second: the period before delivery. Rent is not due for a period that passed before the leased property was delivered, because rent is in return for use and there is no use before delivery. The exception is where the delay in delivery was caused by the tenant; in that case rent is due for that period.
This article connects to Article 430, which requires the tenant to take care of the leased property as an ordinary person would. It is useful for both parties to state payment dates expressly in the contract to avoid disputes.
In a dispute about whether rent is due or about the cause of a delay in delivery, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in real estate or civil matters.
Practical example
Saad signed a lease for an apartment in Riyadh starting at the beginning of the month, but the owner did not hand over the keys until 20 days later because he was finishing painting work. Saad does not owe rent for those 20 days because they passed before delivery and the delay was not his fault. Had the delay been because Saad himself was late to take possession, the rent would have been due.
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 429 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
When is rent due if the contract does not set a date?
The tenant must pay the rent on delivery of the leased property, and if the contract term is divided into periods, at the start of each period.
Does the tenant pay rent for the period in which delivery was delayed?
No. Rent is not due for a period that passed before delivery of the leased property, unless the delay in delivery was caused by the tenant.
Is monthly rent paid at the beginning or the end of the month?
If the parties did not agree on a date and the term is divided into periods, the rent is paid at the start of each period.
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.