Article 27 of the Saudi Real Estate Unit Ownership, Division and Management Law
المادة 27 من نظام ملكية الوحدات العقارية وفرزها وإدارتها · الفصل الخامس: الإدارة والصيانة
The article requires the owner to maintain his unit even if he does not use it, to prevent harm to the property, and bars him from objecting to necessary work inside it for the property's safety, with the unit restored and no costs charged to him.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- على المالك القيام بالصيانة اللازمة لوحدته العقارية المفرزة ولو لم يكن ينتفع بها، لمنع إلحاق ضرر بالعقار المشترك، ويلتزم بألاَّ يحدث في وحدته العقارية المفرزة ما يضر بالعقار المشترك.
2- إذا دعت الضرورة إجراء بعض الأعمال داخل أي وحدة عقارية مفرزة؛ حفظاً لسلامة العقار المشترك أو لتحسين الانتفاع بالأجزاء المشتركة أو صيانتها، فليس لمالك تلك الوحدة المعارضة في ذلك، على أن تعاد الحال في هذه الوحدة إلى ما كانت عليه فور انتهاء الأعمال اللازمة، ولا يتحمل مالكها أي تكاليف ناشئة عن ذلك، وتحدد اللائحة الأحكام الخاصة بذلك.
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 27 explained in plain English
This article deals with maintaining the separate unit itself and its relation to the safety of the whole property, in two paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: the owner's duty toward his unit.
- The owner must carry out the maintenance his unit needs even if he does not use it, such as a closed or unoccupied apartment, in order to prevent harm to the shared property.
- He must not do anything in his unit that harms the shared property.
Paragraph 2: necessary work inside the unit. If work is necessary inside any unit for one of the following purposes:
- Preserving the safety of the shared property.
- Or improving the use of the common parts.
- Or maintaining them.
the unit's owner may not object. In return, the text protects him in two ways: his unit must be restored to its previous condition as soon as the work ends, and he must not bear any costs arising from it. The Implementing Regulations set the detailed provisions for this case.
This article complements Article 26, which divides the costs of maintaining and managing the common parts among the owners in proportion to the area of their units: maintaining the unit falls on its owner, and maintaining the common parts falls on everyone. It also connects to Article 28, which requires the owners association to manage the shared property according to standards set by the Implementing Regulations.
In a dispute over damage caused by neglecting to maintain a unit, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in real estate disputes.
Practical example
Mona owns a closed apartment in Jeddah that she does not live in, and it turns out that a main water line running through it needs urgent repair to protect the building. Mona may not object to technicians entering to carry out the repair, but her apartment must be restored to its condition as soon as the work ends, and she bears no costs arising from it.
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 27 of the Saudi Real Estate Unit Ownership, Division and Management Law
Do I have to maintain my apartment if I don't live in it?
Yes. The owner must carry out the maintenance his unit needs even if he does not use it, to prevent harm to the shared property.
Can I refuse to let maintenance work into my apartment?
If work is necessary inside the unit to preserve the property's safety or to improve the use of the common parts or maintain them, the owner may not object.
Who bears the cost of restoring my apartment after the repair?
The unit's owner bears no costs arising from this work, and the unit must be restored to its previous condition as soon as the work ends.
More articles on Maintaining Jointly Owned Property
- Article 24
The article sets the owners association's resources and how its money is spent, requires every owner to pay his contribution to management and maintenance costs, and bars him from giving up his share to avoid them.
1- تتكون موارد جمعية الملاك مما يأتي:أ- اشتراكات الملاك.ب- التبرعات والهبات والوصايا والأوقاف.ج- عوائد استثمار أموال جمعية الملاك والأجزاء المشتركة القابلة للاس
- Article 26
The article divides the costs of maintaining and managing the common parts among owners in proportion to the area of their units, allows this to vary by use, and lets an owner improve the common parts at his own expense with the association's approval.
1- يشترك كل مالك في تكاليف صيانة الأجزاء المشتركة وإدارتها؛ كلٌّ بقدر نسبة مساحة الجزء المفرز الذي يملكه إلى إجمالي مساحة الأجزاء المفرزة في العقار المشترك. ويج
- Article 28
The article requires the owners association to manage the shared property according to standards set by the Implementing Regulations.
تلتزم جمعية الملاك بإدارة العقار المشترك، وفق معايير تحددها اللائحة.
- Article 29
The article requires owners to repair a partly damaged shared property as the general assembly decides unless otherwise agreed, and lets the general assembly decide what to do if it collapses, with recourse to the court in case of disagreement.
1- إذا تضرر العقار المشترك تضرراً جزئيًّا، فعلى الملاك إصلاحه بحسب ما تقرره الجمعية العامة، ما لم يتفق على غير ذلك. 2- إذا انهدم العقار المشترك تقرر الجمعية الع
- Article 30
The article bars any change to the shared property's external appearance without the general assembly's approval, and requires its approval before any work that increases its value, at the requester's expense and on the assembly's conditions and compensation.
1- لا يجوز إجراء أي تعديل في الشكل الخارجي للعقار المشترك إلا بعد موافقة الجمعية العامة. 2- يشترط موافقة الجمعية العامة قبل إجراء أي عمل يترتب عليه زيادة في قيم
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.