Landlord:

The rental services e-network "Ejar" is aimed to create a market characterized by transparency, trust and neutrality, as well as preserve the rights of all contracting parties (including the landlord) since the rental services e-network "Ejar" helps in reducing manipulation of the rental process, accounts manipulating or procrastinating tenants and rearranges the relation between the landlord and the tenant. Ejar is to document and control the relation between the landlord and tenant by authenticating the lease and linking real estate offices in Saudi Arabia with Ejar, providing tenants’ information and their credit history, in terms of payment, delay and payment date (whether every month, 3 months, 6 months or a year).

The key advantages provided by Ejar to the landlord include:

• Conclusion of leases electronically, using the Standard Contract, which serves as an executive instrument certified by the Ministry of Justice.
• Electronic interlinking with several government agencies such as the National Information Center, the Ministry of Commerce and Investment and the Ministry of Justice. The electronic integration is underway with other agencies such as the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the Saudi Post, the National Water Company and the Saudi Electricity Company.
• Access to supporting reports such as the Tenancy Credit Record of the tenant.
• Verification of the identity of the tenant.
• Verifying the compliance of the real estate broker with the regulations.
• Qualifying and training of the real estate brokers.

The obligations of the landlord include:

• Making sure that the residential unit is clean, vacant and maintained before the tenant’s move-in day.
• Respecting the privacy of the tenant.
• Being committed to regular maintenance.
• Maintaining health and safety standards.
• Being committed to his responsibility for the property maintenance work, including maintenance relating to what may affect the integrity of the building or what is non-apparent to the tenant upon signing the lease.  The landlord shall be responsible for the repair of any malfunction or defect affecting the tenant’s full intended utilization.
• Being committed to payment of service fees or taxes that may be imposed by the relevant authorities.
• Being committed, in case the ownership of the residential property or unit is transferred to another owner, to notifying the new owner about the current contractual relationship, providing that the lease shall remain valid and may be terminated only upon the expiration date thereof.

Cases of breach for the lease by the landlord include:

• Entering the residential unit without prior permission;
• Non-compliance with the regular maintenance; or
• Non-compliance with the health and safety standards.               

Guidelines for the landlord to avoid disputes and minimize their likelihood:

• The landlord should pay attention to small details when inspecting the real estate unit, before the tenant moves in and upon moving out at the end of the lease. The landlord should write down all observations in "Move‑in Unit Inspection Form".
• The landlord should accompany the tenant when inspecting the real estate unit.
• The landlord should notify the tenant about details when unable to complete the maintenance before the tenant’s move-in day.
• The landlord should give the tenant a receipt upon receiving the rent or utility bills.
• Upon receipt of a damaged residential unit, the landlord or the broker should deduct only an amount that is equivalent to the damage value only.