Contract Amendment
Synonyms: Lease Modification، Contract Modification، Contract Variation
Last updated: 2026-10-05
Short Definition
Changing lease terms by mutual agreement through Ejar; a documented lease’s value does not change mid-term, so rent, duration and clauses are changed at renewal.
Overview
Legal Basis
Contract amendment is based on the contractual freedom principle stipulated in the Civil Transactions Law issued by Royal Decree No. (M/191) of 1444 AH, which allows both parties to modify their agreement by mutual consent. Ejar’s FAQ says additions and amendments to the unified lease are made through the accredited broker, and Ejar has said the lease value does not change after documentation.
Practical Example
A tenant of a Jeddah apartment at SAR 24,000 a year lost part of his income, and mid-term the lessor agreed to lower the rent to SAR 21,000. But Ejar has said the lease value does not change after documentation even if both parties agree, so the current lease’s payments stayed as they were until it ended. At renewal the lessor changed the financial terms to SAR 21,000 and the tenant accepted the renewed lease from his account, so the new rent applied from the start of the renewed term.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Verbally agreeing on an amendment without making it on Ejar — hard to prove if denied, and Article 9 of the unified lease ties the effect of acts relating to the lease to Ejar’s services.
- ✗Amending by printing and signing a paper annex — it does not replace making the change on Ejar through the accredited broker, and it does not change the documented lease value.
- ✗Making a substantial change at renewal (e.g., a 30% rent change) without reviewing impact on VAT (in commercial contracts).
- ✗Removing a co-tenant (in multi-tenant contract) without modifying deposit and responsibilities — may create a legal gap.
- ✗Assuming an agreed rent change applies at once to the active lease — Ejar has said the lease value does not change after documentation, and the change applies to the lease after renewal.
International Differences
In the UAE, contracts are amended via the Ejari platform with similar procedures. In Turkey, substantial amendments require a written agreement notarized legally (notary). In Kuwait, no unified digital amendment system exists. In Saudi Arabia, changes are made electronically through Ejar, with additions and amendments to the unified lease made through the accredited broker.
