How do I file a complaint against a landlord in Saudi Arabia?
Short answer
The route depends on the problem. Breaches of the statutory rental provisions, such as a landlord not applying to register the lease on Ejar, raising the rent inside the Riyadh urban area, or refusing renewal there outside the permitted cases, are reported to the Real Estate General Authority (REGA) through the Reports service on its website. Claims for money or for performance of the lease go to the General Court as a lawsuit through Najiz, or to the Execution Court if the tenant holds an executive instrument; there are no special committees for rental disputes.
A report to REGA
The statutory provisions regulating the lessor–lessee relationship (Royal Decree M/73 dated 2/4/1447H) penalise these violations:
Reports are filed through the Reports service on the Contact us page of REGA’s website after logging in with Nafath, with the reporter’s details, the type, date and place of the violation, and supporting documents. The fine can reach the total rent for 12 months, plus correcting the violation, without prejudice to the harmed party’s right to claim compensation.
- Everywhere in the Kingdom: a landlord not applying to register a lease that is not registered on Ejar.
- Inside the Riyadh urban area: raising the total rent on an existing or new lease.
- Inside the Riyadh urban area: letting a vacant, previously leased property for more than its last lease.
- Inside the Riyadh urban area: refusing renewal and forcing the tenant out outside the cases the provisions allow.
Claims and disputes: the courts through Najiz
A report can end in a fine on the landlord and correction of the violation if it is proven, but it does not recover what the tenant is owed; that goes through the courts: a lawsuit at the General Court using the Statement of claim service on Najiz, which is free to file, though the case is subject to the Judicial Costs Law. A dispute over a deposit held by Ejar goes first to experts named by REGA if both parties agree, otherwise to the competent court.
If the tenant holds an executive instrument against the landlord, such as an enforceable court judgment or a settlement deed issued by an authorised body, they file an execution request with the Execution Court through Najiz: under Article 9 of the current Execution Law until 27 October 2026, and Article 7 of the new law (M/237) from 28 October 2026.
Settling by agreement
Through the Saudi Real Estate Arbitration Center, REGA offers a Reconciliation for Ejar beneficiaries service that ends a dispute over a documented lease by mutual consent; it excludes claims for rent or eviction when the lease is an executive instrument. Arbitration is possible only if both parties agree.
Problems with the Ejar platform itself
If a request or service on the Ejar platform itself runs into trouble, such as technical issues that stop a request from being completed, the complaint goes to Ejar. Its channels include the unified number 199011 and the Contact us form on its website, and Ejar’s Complaints and Reporting Guidebook gives an expected resolution time of 15 business days.
Steps
- Identify the type of problem and gather your documents: the Ejar contract number, payment history, messages and the receipt and handover form.
- For a violation: on REGA’s website choose Contact us, then Reports, and log in with Nafath.
- For a claim: on Najiz choose All Electronic Services, then the Judiciary package, then Statement of claim, then New request.
Follow-up questions
The landlord refuses to document the lease on Ejar. What can I do?
Ejar explains that registering the lease is the landlord’s duty, and that if the landlord does not do it the tenant may request registration and report it to REGA. The other party may object to the lease details before REGA within 60 days of being notified; otherwise they are treated as correct.
Do I get a reward if the violation is proven?
A reporter may receive up to 20% of the fine collected, provided among other things that the report reveals a violation REGA had not detected, a final decision confirms it and the fine is collected.
Official sources
- REGA: Statutory provisions regulating the lessor–lessee relationship
- REGA: Contact us (reports and complaints)
- REGA: Rules for rewarding informants on violations of the lessor–lessee provisions
- National portal: Statement of claim service (Ministry of Justice)
- Ejar: Complaints and Reporting Guidebook
General information for guidance, not legal advice; the governing regulations and official bodies are the final reference.
Read also
Related questions
- Is a lease that is not registered on Ejar valid?
- Can a landlord in Riyadh refuse to renew a lease?
- What is the Riyadh rent freeze and who does it cover?
- How do I get my security deposit back from Ejar when the lease ends?
- What can a landlord do if the tenant stops paying rent?
- How long does it take to evict a tenant in Saudi Arabia?
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