Residential buildings are seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this December 21, 2015 file photo.

Saudi courts received 2,929 complaints against rent defaulters in various parts of the Kingdom for the last three months.

However, Ali Al-Suwailem, a member of the National Committee of Lawyers (NCL), said that the number is not that big considering the economic slump experienced in the Kingdom.

“The number of complaints is normal considering the absence of documentation on leases of commercial buildings and accommodations,” he said.

He said that a case could be resolved by the courts from three months to a year, subject to the availability of litigants and documents regarding it.

“The requests of parties are also taken into consideration,” he said, adding that much of the lease to be collected go to lawyers’ fees.

He also said that the court verdict could be termination of contract or evacuation of the place and that the tenants have to go somewhere else.

Hashem Al-Hashem, also an NCL member, added that the main reason for the increase in the number of cases filed in the courts is the attempt of owners to increase rents.

“They know at the start the amount of the rent and they want to increase it. Naturally, the tenant does not want to pay because it would be a violation of contract so the owner lodges a complaint in court,” he said.

He added that believing the owner is unreasonable, the tenant decides to pursue the case in court, which could last from six months to a year.

Records show that courts in Makkah region received the biggest number of cases filed for litigation at 741, followed by the Eastern Province (665) , Riyadh (583), Baha (234), Madinah (228), Qassim (137), Jazan (94), Tabuk (57), Northern Border (53), Najran (47), Al-Jouf (34) Hail (29) and Al-Baha (26).

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