When a tenant falls behind on rent in Saudi Arabia, the landlord can claim the arrears and, once the conditions are met, seek eviction, but only through the courts and never by self-help. A unified lease documented on the Ejar platform is an executive instrument, so the landlord files an enforcement request with the Execution Court through Najiz without first bringing a lawsuit. What happens after filing is governed by the current Execution Law (M/53) until 27 October 2026 and by the new Execution Law (M/237) from 28 October 2026.
When is a tenant considered late on rent?
A tenant is late once the due date in the lease’s payment schedule passes without payment. Article 429 of the Civil Transactions Law requires rent to be paid on the agreed dates; if no dates were agreed, on delivery of the property, and where the lease term is divided into periods, at the start of each period. For more on payment dates and methods, see the glossary entry on rent payment.
According to Ejar’s description of the unified residential lease, the tenant also has a grace period after each due date:
- 15 days where the rent payment cycle is shorter than 180 days, such as monthly or quarterly payments.
- 30 days where the cycle is 180 days or longer, such as semi-annual or annual payments.
The lease then provides that if the tenant is 15 or 30 days late after the grace period ends, the landlord may terminate the lease through Ejar, unless the parties agree a different payment period through the platform. The wording and periods of this clause may differ between lease versions, so your own documented lease is the reference for these deadlines and terms.
Under the Execution Law, compulsory enforcement requires an executive instrument for a right of a specified amount that is due, as Article 9 of the current law states; Article 7 of the new law sets a similar condition (a specific right that is due). An enforcement request therefore covers only instalments that have fallen due and remain unpaid, not future instalments.
What friendly steps and records should come first?
- Reminders: Ejar lists among its services alerts and notifications of payment dates, and electronic reporting of a tenant’s late payments. You can add a polite text or written message and keep a copy.
- Payment record: for new residential leases since 15 January 2024, rent is paid only through Ejar’s digital channels, and payments made outside them are not accepted as proof of payment. Treat the platform’s record as your reference and avoid accepting payment outside it for these leases.
- Written notice: Article 107 of the Civil Transactions Law allows a party to seek performance or termination after giving formal notice to the party in breach, and Article 108 provides that an agreement allowing termination without a court judgment does not remove the need for notice unless the parties expressly agreed to waive it. Notice may be given by any means the parties agreed or any method the law sets for notification (Article 177).
- Documented payment plan: if you agree a new deadline, record it through Ejar, because the termination clause in the unified lease excludes a payment period the parties agree through the platform.
- Arbitration only by agreement: the Saudi Real Estate Arbitration Center, part of the Real Estate General Authority (REGA), is an alternative route, but only if both parties agree to it.
Article 12 of the new law leaves it to the regulation to set when a creditor must notify the debtor to pay before a request is registered, so early, documented notice helps under both laws.
How do you file an enforcement request on a lease through Najiz?
A unified lease documented on Ejar is an executive instrument, so you file directly with the Execution Court through Najiz without a prior lawsuit. In July 2018 the Minister of Justice directed Execution Courts to start accepting enforcement requests on the unified residential lease as an executive instrument, a step the Ministry said was based on Council of Ministers Decision No. 131 dated 3/4/1435H. A lease not registered on the network has no administrative or judicial effect under Council of Ministers Decision No. 292 dated 16/5/1438H, and other rental disputes go to the General Court through Najiz.
The Unified National Platform summarises the steps of the Submit an Enforcement Request service as follows:
- Log in to Najiz with your Nafath national single sign-on account, choose the Enforcement package, then the Submit an Enforcement Request service.
- Click Submit a New Request and choose the request type: financial to claim unpaid rent, or direct enforcement to request eviction.
- Enter the details of the applicant and the debtor, and select the unified lease as the executive instrument.
- Enter the details of the request, upload a copy of the instrument, and submit.
- You receive a notification with the request number and a text message, and you track the request from your Najiz account.
Menu labels may change as the platform is updated. If your lease is not yet documented, you can send a lease registration request from inside Amlakire so that a licensed real estate office documents it on Ejar.
How much does an enforcement request for unpaid rent cost?
Under the Implementing Regulation of the Judicial Costs Law, a financial enforcement request carries judicial costs of 2% of the amount claimed, with a minimum of SAR 500 and a maximum of SAR 10,000, and a direct enforcement request such as eviction costs SAR 500. For arrears of SAR 30,000 the cost is SAR 600, while arrears of SAR 10,000 attract the SAR 500 minimum.
These costs are borne by the debtor, unless the applicant is shown not to be entitled to the claim, in which case the applicant bears them in full, or in proportion to the part not owed. The competent department issues the final assessment after the request is decided, and the amount is collected only after the period for objecting to the assessment ends. The Unified National Platform lists the Submit an Enforcement Request e-service itself as free; the judicial costs are assessed separately under the regulation, as above.
What happens after filing, until 27 October 2026?
Until that date the Execution Law issued by Royal Decree M/53 dated 13/8/1433H applies. The execution judge issues an enforcement order and the tenant is notified of it; if notification is not possible within 20 days of the order, the notice is published in the most widely read daily newspaper in the court’s region (Article 34).
If the tenant neither pays nor discloses assets sufficient to cover the debt within 5 days of notification, he is treated as a defaulter, and the judge immediately orders (Article 46):
- a travel ban;
- a halt on issuing powers of attorney from him over money and what derives from it;
- disclosure of his current and future assets up to the amount of the debt, and their attachment and enforcement against them;
- disclosure of his commercial and professional licences and records;
- notification of the licensed credit information bureau that he has not paid.
The judge may also, depending on the case, bar government bodies from dealing with the debtor and attach amounts they owe him, bar financial institutions from dealing with him, and order his detention under the law’s provisions.
For eviction, the enforcement officer goes to the property on the day after 5 days have passed from notification of the enforcement order, hands the property to the landlord, and may use force to enter if necessary (Article 72). If the occupant is absent or refuses to take his belongings, they are handed to the judicial custodian and the judge orders them sold at auction after two months unless collected. The Implementing Regulation (72/1) allows eviction to be postponed for up to 30 days.
What changes from 28 October 2026 under the new Execution Law?
The Execution Law issued by Royal Decree M/237 dated 3/11/1447H takes effect on 28 October 2026, 180 days after its publication on 1 May 2026 (Article 65). It does not mention leases by name, but paragraph (h) of Article 7 covers contracts and documents that have the status of executive instruments under a law or a Council of Ministers decision. See our article on the new 1447H Execution Law for detail. The points that matter most for unpaid rent are:
- 5 working days (Article 18): after that, compulsory enforcement against assets starts immediately: credit information bureaus are notified, and the tenant’s current and future assets are attached, including amounts owed to him by public bodies. He gets 10 more working days if he provides a bank guarantee sufficient to pay.
- Daily fine (Article 18): the court may impose a fine of up to SAR 5,000 for each day enforcement remains incomplete, up to a cap set by the regulation, and the proceeds go to the State Treasury, not to the landlord.
- Travel ban on request (Article 19): it is not automatic but requires a request from the creditor, lasts up to 3 years, may be extended by a new request to a total of 6 years, and ends when the enforcement request ends.
- Salary attachment (Article 26): no more than one third of gross wages or salary for debts other than maintenance (nafaqa), and one quarter of a retirement pension.
- Eviction (Article 36): if the tenant does not vacate within 5 working days of notification, the court immediately orders the competent force to act. If that is not possible, it orders a travel ban at the creditor’s request and imposes a fine of up to SAR 10,000 per day, capped by the regulation. The regulation will set the procedures for vacating property and for belongings their owner does not collect.
- Detention for refusing to vacate (Article 37): if 30 working days pass after these measures without compliance, the court, at the creditor’s request, orders detention for up to 180 days, which may be extended. It does not apply to anyone under 18, a person too ill for detention under an approved medical report, a pregnant woman or mother of a child under two, or the creditor’s ascendants or descendants, and the right survives the detention.
The new law provides no detention to force payment of a money debt; detention to compel compliance is limited to direct enforcement such as eviction, while the insolvency provisions of the old law continue temporarily. It does, however, make deliberately obstructing enforcement (including refusing to comply with an enforcement order or to disclose assets) and hiding or smuggling assets to defeat recovery crimes punishable by up to 3 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to SAR 1 million, or both, prosecuted by the investigation and prosecution authority before the competent court (Articles 48 and 50). Judgments, orders and decisions issued before the effective date remain valid under the rules that applied before it.
| Issue | Current law (until 27 October 2026) | New law (from 28 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline after notification | 5 days (Article 46) | 5 working days (Article 18) |
| Travel ban | Ordered immediately once the debtor is a defaulter | Only at the creditor’s request, up to 3 years and a total of 6 |
| Daily fine | In direct enforcement, up to SAR 10,000, paid into the court’s account (Article 69) | Up to SAR 5,000 against assets and up to SAR 10,000 in direct enforcement, to the State Treasury |
| Eviction | Officer attends the day after 5 days from notification (Article 72) | Competent force after 5 working days from notification (Article 36) |
| Detention to compel the debtor | Possible under the law’s provisions (Articles 46 and 83) | Only in direct enforcement, after 30 working days, up to 180 days, extendable (Article 37); deliberate obstruction of enforcement is a crime (Article 50) |
Can a landlord evict a tenant for not paying rent?
Yes, but only through the courts, and the lease does not end merely because rent is late. In July 2025 Ejar explained, as reported by Arrajol, that termination of the unified lease does not happen automatically when a tenant is late, and that the lease is ended by a court order or by agreement of both parties. The route is explained in our glossary entry on the eviction procedure.
Official sources describe different routes for eviction during the lease term for non-payment:
- Direct-enforcement request at the Execution Court: in January 2020 the Ministry of Justice said the holder of a documented unified lease files an electronic enforcement request and chooses direct enforcement to have the property vacated, without bringing a lawsuit.
- Termination claim at the General Court: in July 2025 Ejar said the General Court is the competent body for termination claims, and the Execution Court enforces the judgments issued in them.
We found no official text that settles which route applies in every case; it depends on the facts, the lease wording and the court’s assessment, so it is wise to consult a lawyer before filing. If the lease has ended at the end of its term without renewal and the tenant has not vacated, eviction is requested on the unified lease as direct enforcement through Najiz.
Once the Execution Court has ordered the property vacated, the service for cancelling residential and commercial leases by one party, listed by REGA, lets the landlord cancel the documented lease on Ejar. The mandatory document is the execution decision ending the lease, showing the lease number, and the steps include settling the payments recorded on the lease.
In Riyadh, non-payment is a valid ground to refuse renewal
Within the Riyadh urban area, a landlord may refuse to renew a lease the tenant wants to keep only in specified cases, which include the tenant’s failure to pay rent, a structural defect that endangers safety, and the owner’s wish to use the property himself or for a first-degree relative, plus other cases set by REGA’s board. This is part of the rules issued by Royal Decree M/73 dated 2/4/1447H, which also froze rent increases in Riyadh for five years from 25 September 2025. Outside Riyadh, either party may decline renewal by notifying the other at least 60 days before the lease ends. Under a REGA decision, in model residential leases the landlord’s non-renewal notice must be at least 365 days when he wants the unit for personal use or for a first-degree relative. To work out the last day for notice, use the lease dates calculator.
What must a landlord not do to a tenant who is late?
A landlord may not take the law into his own hands. In March 2022 Okaz reported Ejar as stating that a landlord has no right to cut off a tenant’s electricity, water or gas when rent is in arrears, and that disputes go to the judicial authorities or the Saudi Real Estate Arbitration Center, depending on jurisdiction.
We found no provision that names changing the locks or removing furniture specifically, but the following rules govern the issue:
- Article 423 of the Civil Transactions Law requires the landlord to refrain from interfering with the tenant’s use of the property throughout the lease term, failing which he is liable; if this deprives the tenant of the use wholly or partly, the tenant may seek termination or a rent reduction, without prejudice to compensation.
- Forced eviction is carried out by the enforcement officer or the competent force under an Execution Court order (Article 72 of the current law; Article 36 of the new law).
- Belongings the tenant does not collect are handed to the judicial custodian under the current law, and the regulation will set how they are handled under the new law.
Changing the locks, blocking access or moving the tenant’s belongings without a court order is self-help outside the lawful route and can make the landlord liable for the harm caused; the lawful route is an enforcement request at the Execution Court. See also tenant rights in Saudi Arabia.
Can a landlord charge a late-payment penalty on rent?
Do not rely on a pre-set late-payment penalty on rent. Article 178 of the Civil Transactions Law lets the parties fix compensation in advance in the contract or a later agreement, but it expressly excludes cases where the obligation is a sum of money, and rent is a sum of money. We found no late-payment penalty in favour of the landlord among the terms of the unified residential lease that Ejar publishes.
The daily fines in the Execution Law are sanctions to compel the debtor; they are paid into the court’s account under the current law and to the State Treasury under the new law, so they do not compensate the landlord. The landlord can still claim the unpaid rent itself; the debtor normally bears the judicial costs of the enforcement request and, under the new law, the enforcement expenses (Article 32).
What is the timeline for recovering unpaid rent?
The table below sets out the stages from the due date to eviction, with the rule that governs each stage:
| Stage | Timing | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Instalment falls due | The date in the payment schedule | Civil Transactions Law, Article 429 |
| Grace period in the unified residential lease | 15 days from the due date (cycle under 180 days) or 30 days (180 days or more) | Lease terms as published by Ejar |
| Termination right under the lease | When the tenant is 15 or 30 days late after the grace period ends | Lease termination clause |
| Enforcement request via Najiz | Once an instalment is due and unpaid | Article 9 (current) and Article 7 (new) |
| Tenant’s deadline after notification | 5 days until 27 October 2026; 5 working days from 28 October 2026 | Article 46 (current) and Article 18 (new) |
| Eviction | The day after 5 days from notification, with possible postponement of up to 30 days (current); competent force after 5 working days (new) | Article 72 (current) and Article 36 (new) |
| Detention for refusing to vacate | After 30 working days of Article 36 measures, up to 180 days | Article 37 (new) |
| Enforcement request no longer accepted | More than 10 years after the due date | Article 11 (new) |
Summary
A landlord’s rights when rent is late are broad, but they run through the courts: document the lease on Ejar, send reminders and written notice, then file an enforcement request through Najiz for the instalments due, and seek eviction through the courts by the route that fits your case. The current law applies until 27 October 2026, and the new law, with a 5-working-day deadline and travel bans only on request, from 28 October 2026. Avoid cutting utilities, changing locks and late-payment penalty clauses.
Official sources
- Execution Law 1433H (Royal Decree M/53) — Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
- Execution Law 1447H (Royal Decree M/237) — Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
- Civil Transactions Law (Royal Decree M/191) — Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
- Ejar residential lease (obligations, grace period, termination) — Ejar
- New rules regulating the landlord–tenant relationship — Ejar
- Submit an enforcement request (Ministry of Justice) — Unified National Platform
- Cancelling residential and commercial leases (one-party termination) — Real Estate General Authority
- Implementing Regulation of the Judicial Costs Law — Ministry of Justice
- Okaz: Ministry of Justice on unified leases as enforcement instruments (January 2020)
- Okaz: Ejar says landlords may not cut electricity, water or gas (March 2022)
- SPA: Minister of Justice directs Execution Courts to accept the unified residential lease as an executive instrument (July 2018)
- Arrajol: Ejar on lease termination and late payment (July 2025)