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How do I get my security deposit back from Ejar when the lease ends?

Short answer

If your deposit is held on Ejar, you get it back through the receipt and handover form linked to the lease, which both parties fill in when the unit is handed back; if they agree there is no damage, or agree on its value, Ejar automatically returns the deposit or the balance to the tenant’s wallet, from where it can be transferred to a bank account. The form must be completed within 7 days, and if that period passes without it being filled in, this counts as implied approval that the unit is in good condition. If the parties disagree about damage, the dispute goes first to experts named by the Real Estate General Authority (REGA) if both agree, otherwise to the competent court.

Where the deposit is held

A security deposit (called a “guarantee” in the law) is an optional term that the lessor and tenant agree in the lease. If an amount is set in a lease documented on Ejar, it must be held by Ejar as a neutral party: the tenant tops up their Ejar wallet, if needed, before approving the lease, and the amount is reserved from it when the lease is documented.

Article 12 of the Real Estate Brokerage Law requires the deposit to be held by REGA or a body it authorizes until the property is returned without damage. It is then returned to the tenant in full, or whatever remains after the value of any damage is deducted.

What can be deducted

The law provides for deducting the value of damage from the deposit. Under Article 20 of the Brokerage Law’s Implementing Regulation, that value is set by agreement between the parties on the form prepared by REGA.

The Civil Transactions Law (Article 435) requires the tenant to return the property in the condition in which it was received, except for what normal use entails. This is why filling in the receipt form at the start of the lease, with notes and photos, matters: it records the unit’s condition when you took it over.

If you disagree about damage

A dispute over the deposit or the damage assessment goes first to specialist experts named by REGA, provided both parties agree, and the parties share the experts’ fees equally. Under the regulation, these experts are certified valuers designated by REGA.

If the parties do not agree to accept the experts’ decision, they may go to the competent court through Najiz.

Steps

  1. When you move out, fill in the handover form linked to the lease from your Ejar account or the link sent by text message.
  2. If you answer “No” to any item, add notes and photos showing the unit’s condition; the other party can view the form and your notes.
  3. Fill in the form within the allowed 7 days, so the parties can agree that there is no damage or agree on its value.
  4. Ejar automatically credits each party’s wallet with what is due: the remaining deposit to the tenant and the agreed damage amount to the lessor.
  5. To move the balance to your bank, open the wallet, choose the amount, enter your IBAN and click “Refund”, then enter the verification code sent to the mobile number registered in Absher.

Follow-up questions

Can the lessor deduct from my deposit without my consent?

Not on the lessor’s decision alone. The Brokerage Law’s Implementing Regulation ties the release of the deposit or its balance to the parties’ agreement, their acceptance of the experts’ decision, or a court judgment.

I paid the deposit directly to the lessor and it was never held on Ejar. How do I get it back?

Ejar’s automatic refund covers only deposits held on the platform. If you paid the lessor directly, you ask the lessor to return it; if they refuse or you disagree about damage, you can go to the competent court through Najiz.

Is the deposit refunded if the lease is cancelled before it ends?

Yes. Ejar applies the same process when a lease ends or is cancelled: it relies on the handover form agreed by both parties and returns what each party is owed to their wallet.

Official sources

General information for guidance, not legal advice; the governing regulations and official bodies are the final reference.

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