REGA detects 18 violations in rental relationship regs in Riyadh

The Real Estate General Authority (REGA) announced that it has detected a number of violations of rental relationship regulations in Riyadh, as part of its oversight efforts to ensure compliance with regulations and maintain balance in the market.

The authority received 268 reports, with evidence being completed for 250 of them, while 18 landlords were found to be in violation and legal procedures are being taken against them, it added.

In its statement today, REGA clarified that the violations included raising rental prices in Riyadh, increasing rents for vacant properties compared to their previous lease contracts, failing to register contracts through the “Ejar” platform, and refusing to renew leases or forcing tenants to vacate properties without lawful justification.

The authority also referred 11 real estate brokers to the Committee for Examining Real Estate Brokerage Violations, after confirming that they had engaged in practices harmful to clients’ interests by enabling landlords to commit these violations.

According to Argaam’s data, the Saudi Cabinet has approved recently the regulatory provisions governing landlord–tenant relations, which included suspending the annual increase in total rent value for new or existing residential and commercial lease contracts in Riyadh for five years.