1,300 court cases filed against rent defaulters in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH — As many as 1,300 cases have been registered against defaulters of rent payment since executive courts began hearing such cases.

According to records from the Ministry of Justice, quoted by Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper, the Makkah region topped with 681 cases against rent defaulters. It was followed by Riyadh with 300 cases, Eastern Province with 127 cases and Jazan with 65 cases.

The total number of cases received in Al-Qassim was 12, in Madinah 60 and Tabuk 23. Al-Baha and Hail each received eight cases, Najran seven cases and Asir six cases. Al-Jouf and Northern Border each received four cases.

Justice Minister Waleed Al-Samaani announced earlier that the executive courts would hear payment defaults as per the unified housing rent contract. The unified rent contract is considered legally authentic after the electronic link with the Ministry of Housing was established in July last year.

The unified housing contract will grant landlord the right to approach the execution court directly through easy and straightforward electronic procedures in case of a payment default.

The electronic link will help in reducing the number of cases filed in general courts.

The execution court will receive rent contract cases and will see to it that justice is enforced immediately and the rights are granted to the landlord, unlike in the past when the cases went through protracted court procedures.

Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice for Implementation Abdul Aziz Al-Suhaiman said owner of the real state unit registered in the Ejar rental system can apply to the execution court immediately through the ministry’s electronic gate when a tenant fails to make rent payment on time.