Civil Transactions Law · Federal Decree-Law 25 of 2025
Article 723
Section Two: Contracts of Usufruct > Chapter One: Lease Contract > Part Three: Effects of the Lease Contract > First: Obligations of the Lessor / 1. Delivery of the Leased Property
English translation
1. The lessor shall, as security for any right arising under the lease contract, have the right to retain the attachable movables that are present in the leased property, as long as they are encumbered by the statutory privilege of the lessor, even if they are not owned by the lessee. The lessor shall also have the right to object to their removal, and if they are removed despite the lessor’s objection or without their knowledge, they shall have the right to recover them from their possessor, even if acting in good faith, without prejudice to any rights such possessor may have.
2. The lessor may not exercise their right of retention or recovery if the removal of these items is required by the lessee's profession or by the ordinary course of life, or if the movables left in the leased property are sufficient to secure the rent.
Official translation, as published by the portal.
Official Arabic text
.1 يكون للمؤجر ضمانًا لكل حق يثبت له بمقتضى عقد الإيجار، أن يحبس المنقولات القابلة للحجز الموجودة بالعين المؤجرة ما دامت مثقلة بامتياز المؤجر، ولو لم تكن مملوكة للمستأجر، وللمؤجر الحق في أن يمانع في نقلها، فإذا نقلت على الرغم من معارضته أو دون علمه كان له الحق في استردادها من الحائز لها ولو كان حسن النية، وذلك مع عدم الإخلال بما يكون لهذا الحائز من حقوق.
.2 ليس للمؤجر أن يستعمل حقه في الحبس أو في الاسترداد إذا كان نقل هذه الأشياء أمرًا اقتضته حرفة المستأجر أو المألوف في شئون الحياة، أو كانت المنقولات التي تركت في العين المؤجرة تفي بضمان الأجرة.
What it means when you sign
This article gives the landlord a right over movable property found in the leased premises, as security for rights arising under the lease. The landlord may keep attachable movables there while they remain subject to the landlord's statutory privilege, even if the tenant does not own them. The landlord may object to their removal, and if they are removed despite that objection or without the landlord's knowledge, may recover them from whoever holds them, even in good faith, without prejudice to that holder's rights. The landlord cannot use the right of retention or recovery if the removal is required by the tenant's profession or ordinary life, or if the movables left behind are enough to secure the rent.
For a contract about to be signed, this article is relevant to clauses on security, lien, removal of goods and unpaid rent. It means a lease may expose items kept in the premises, including some that belong to others.
In Fahm reports this article usually sits under: One-sided mechanisms
Related articles
- Article 722This article sets out when the tenant must pay the rent.
- Article 724This article covers what the tenant must do when the lease ends.
- Article 725Cited in Fahm reportsThis article deals with improvements the tenant makes to the leased property, such as construction, planting or other work that increases its value.
- Article 726This article deals with a rent increase asked for after the lease term has ended.
- Article 728This article deals with a lease of property in which a factory or a shop has been set up.
- Article 729Cited in Fahm reportsThis article sets rules on assigning a lease or subleasing the property.