Civil Transactions Law · Federal Decree-Law 25 of 2025
Article 724
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 lessee shall return the leased property upon the expiry of the lease. If they retain it under their possession without right, they shall be obligated to pay the lessor the rent of the like (ujrat al-mithl) for the period of use and shall also be liable for any harm to the leased property and for any expenses borne by the lessor that are chargeable to the lessee.
2. The leased property shall be returned in the state in which the lessee received it, except for what may have befallen it from destruction or damage due to a cause not attributable to them.
Official translation, as published by the portal.
Official Arabic text
.1 يجب على المستأجر أن يرد العين المؤجرة عند انتهاء الإيجار، فإذا أبقاها تحت يده دون حق كان ملزمًا أن يدفع للمؤجر أجر المثل عن مدة الاستعمال ويضمن له كذلك ما يلحق العين المؤجرة من ضرر، وما يتحمله المؤجر من مصاريف تكون مستحقة على المستأجر.
.2 يجب أن تكون العين المؤجرة عند الرد بالحالة التي تسلمها المستأجر عليها، إلا ما يكون قد أصابها من هلاك أو تلف لسبب لا يرجع إليه.
What it means when you sign
This article covers what the tenant must do when the lease ends. The tenant must return the leased property when the lease expires. If the tenant keeps it without right, they must pay the landlord the rent of the like for the period of use, and are also liable for any harm to the property and for any expenses the landlord bears that are chargeable to the tenant. The property must be returned in the state in which the tenant received it, except for destruction or damage due to a cause not attributable to the tenant.
For a contract about to be signed, this article is relevant to clauses on handover, condition of the premises, move-out and holding over. It means the condition recorded at the start of the lease is the benchmark for what must be returned, so a written record of the property's condition when received is useful. Staying on without right after the end of the lease carries a payment duty and liability for harm, while loss or damage the tenant did not cause is treated differently.
Not yet cited in a Fahm report; shown because it sits in the same chapter as one that is.
Related articles
- Article 722This article sets out when the tenant must pay the rent.
- Article 723Cited in Fahm reportsThis article gives the landlord a right over movable property found in the leased premises, as security for rights arising under the lease.
- 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.