Complaint Filing
Synonyms: Filing a Complaint، Lodging a Claim، Statement of Claim، Initiating Proceedings
Last updated: 2026-09-25
Short Definition
Complaint filing is the formal step by which a right-holder starts addressing a dispute before the competent body — a regulator that receives reports of violations, a court where a statement of claim is registered, or an execution, conciliation or arbitration body.
Overview
Legal Basis
Law of Civil Procedure (M/1 dated 22/1/1435H), Article 41 on the contents of the statement of claim; Execution Law (M/53 dated 13/8/1433H) for execution requests; Law of Evidence (M/43 dated 26/5/1443H), which gives digital evidence the same evidentiary status as writing (Article 55); the regulatory provisions governing the landlord–tenant relationship that took effect on 25 September 2025, whose violation decisions may be challenged before the competent judicial body within 30 days; and the Real Estate Brokerage Law (M/130 dated 30/11/1443H), under whose Article 20 the violation committees are formed.
Practical Example
Noura rents a Riyadh apartment under a unified lease at SAR 60,000 a year. Before renewal, the landlord demands SAR 66,000 and also deducts SAR 3,000 from her deposit for an air-conditioner repair. Noura recognises two separate issues. The increase is a regulatory violation of the Riyadh rent freeze, so she reports it to REGA with the landlord’s written message attached. The SAR 3,000 is a private money claim, so she first requests conciliation on Taradhi; when no settlement is reached, she files a statement of claim through Najiz stating her request (return of SAR 3,000) and its grounds: photos of the unit at move-in and move-out and a technician’s report showing the fault was due to the unit’s age. Separating the two tracks spares her a rejection for lack of jurisdiction or mixed requests.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Confusing a regulatory report with a private claim — each has its own body, track and challenge periods, and filing with the wrong body delays resolution.
- ✗Drafting a general statement of claim without specific requests and grounds — Article 41 requires the subject, requests and grounds, and a claim the claimant cannot articulate may be dismissed.
- ✗Relying on verbal accounts instead of documents — the documented lease, Ejar payment records and digital correspondence are the strongest evidence in a rental dispute.
- ✗Paying cash or by direct transfer outside Ejar’s channels on a new residential lease and then relying on it — REGA has announced such payments are not accepted as proof.
- ✗Missing deadlines — such as the 30-day window to challenge a violation decision or the period to challenge a judgment, after which the right lapses.
International Differences
In Dubai, rental complaints go to a single specialised body, the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre. In Turkey, most tenancy disputes must start with mandatory mediation since September 2023 or the lawsuit is rejected, with eviction proceedings through enforcement offices excepted. In Egypt, rental lawsuits are filed with the civil courts under the procedural code. The Saudi model is distinguished by several parallel tracks — regulatory, substantive court, execution, conciliation and arbitration — all filed digitally through Najiz, Ejar and Taradhi.
