Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities in Saudi Arabia: Who Pays for What?
A practical breakdown of owner and tenant obligations in Saudi tenancy contracts — maintenance, deposits, notice periods and renewals.
The relationship between an owner and a tenant is contractual before it is anything else: what the contract says governs, and what it omits falls back on custom and regulation. That is why the most common disputes revolve around clauses a single line could have settled at signing.
The owner's obligations
- Deliver the unit fit for the agreed use, with essential services connected.
- Repair structural and fundamental faults: major leaks, main system failures, structural cracks.
- Not interfere with the tenant's quiet enjoyment during the term.
- Return the deposit after vacating, less documented actual damage.
- Give the required notice before non-renewal or a request to vacate.
The tenant's obligations
- Pay rent on the agreed dates.
- Use the unit only for the agreed purpose — residential premises are not used commercially without consent.
- Carry out day-to-day operational maintenance and look after the unit.
- Make no structural alteration without written permission.
- Return the unit in its received condition, allowing for fair wear and tear.
The grey areas that cause most trouble
Maintenance
The perennial argument: is replacing a failed water heater operational or structural? The only cure is to settle it in the contract with an explicit list. Write "water heater and air-conditioning faults after one year fall to the tenant" — or the opposite. What matters is that it is written.
The deposit
State the amount, that deductions are limited to damage documented photographically in the handover record, and the period within which it is returned. This clause alone prevents most end-of-tenancy disputes.
Fair wear and tear
Faded paint after three years is fair wear; a hole in the wall is not. Telling them apart requires a photographed handover record at the start — without it, it becomes one word against another.
Escalating correctly
- Direct contact, documented in writing (a message that preserves the date).
- A formal written notice stating what is required and by when.
- Neutral third-party mediation — most disputes end here.
- The competent authorities, relying on the Ejar-registered contract.
Advice for both sides
Keep everything in writing: the contract, the photographed handover record, payment receipts, and messages agreeing any variation. Memory shifts after a year; paper does not.
A clear contract is not a sign of distrust. It protects trust from eroding at the first disagreement.
Common questions on this topic
When should a tenant's deposit be returned?
After vacating and inspection, with deductions limited to documented actual damage. The return period is best stated explicitly in the contract.
Can an owner raise the rent during the contract term?
No. The rent is fixed for the agreed term. Increases are discussed at renewal, with prior notice to the tenant.
Want an opinion on your own case?
We are a property office in Madinah on Ali Bin Abi Talib Street, Al-Rawabi. Call 0538600037 or book a visit and get a direct opinion on your property.
