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When must the Ejar handover form be filled in, and what if it isn’t?

Short answer

For residential leases documented on Ejar, the receipt form is filled in within 7 days of documentation and the handover form within 7 days after the lease ends, by the lessor and the tenant (or their representatives registered on the lease), not the broker. If the period passes without the form being filled in, Ejar treats this as implied approval that the unit is in good condition. Anyone with a concern should therefore answer “No” to the item and attach notes and photos within the period, because the form cannot be edited once it is sent.

What are the deadlines for each form?

Ejar’s receipt and handover service records a residential unit’s condition at the start and end of the lease, linked to the lease documented on Ejar. Ejar describes it as mandatory; it is free and currently covers residential leases only, and the unified residential lease obliges both parties to complete it using Ejar’s approved forms.

  • Receipt form: within 7 days of the lease being documented; the reminder text message is sent on the first day of the lease.
  • Handover form: for 7 days after the lease ends.
  • Open the form from the text-message link, the contracts list or the lease page; Ejar urges parties to fill it in as soon as possible.

What happens if the deadline passes?

Ejar’s user manual says that when the allowed period for the receipt or handover form ends without it being filled in, this counts as implied approval that the unit is in good condition. In a reply on its official X account on 3 September 2025, about the end of a lease, Ejar said the system fills in an uncompleted form automatically as implied approval.

At the start, this means the unit is taken to have been sound when the tenant received it, which matters because Article 435 of the Civil Transactions Law requires the tenant to return the property in the condition received, apart from normal use. At the end, the unit is treated as handed back in good condition and the deposit hold is released to the tenant’s wallet, according to a reply from Ejar’s official X account on 3 July 2025.

Who fills in the form, and how are notes recorded?

Ejar’s service page and user manual set out the process as follows:

  • Only the lessor and the tenant fill it in, not the broker. If a representative is registered on the lease, the lessor’s representative fills it in and the tenant’s representative approves it; the principal can only view it.
  • Anyone answering “No” to an item can write notes and attach photos of the unit’s condition, and the other party can view the form before approving it.
  • The form cannot be edited once sent, and the tenant cannot send it back to the lessor for changes; instead, the tenant records notes on it and then approves or rejects it.
  • A verification code goes to the mobile number registered in Absher when the lessor sends the form or the tenant approves it.

What if the parties disagree about the unit’s condition?

The unified residential lease lets either party ask Ejar for a certified valuer to complete receipt or handover. If the parties disagree at handover, Ejar says an expert assesses the damage and the deposit is refunded based on that assessment.

Under Article 12 of the Real Estate Brokerage Law, disputes over the deposit and the damage assessment go first to specialist experts named by the Real Estate General Authority (REGA), if both parties agree, with fees split equally; under Article 20 of the Implementing Regulation, these experts are certified valuers. If the parties do not accept the experts’ decision, they may go to the competent court, which for non-enforcement rental disputes is the General Court through Najiz.

Follow-up questions

Does the electronic receipt and handover service cover commercial leases?

No, it currently covers residential leases only. The copy of the unified commercial lease published on Ejar’s website, which is watermarked as not intended for official use, relies in Article 8 on the parties signing receipt and handover forms and says handover only counts once both the tenant and the lessor sign the handover form. If the lessor delays taking the unit back and signing, the tenant may notify the lessor, and handover is treated as done according to a handover form signed by the tenant alone within a number of days from the notice that the contract sets.

I found a defect after sending the form. Can I change it?

No, the form cannot be edited once sent. Inspect the unit carefully before you send or approve it, and record every issue within the period. The form remains available to view for the whole term of the lease.

Is there a fee for the service?

No, Ejar’s service card says it is free. If the parties use REGA’s experts in a deposit dispute, they share the experts’ fees equally.

Official sources

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

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