Renting a Home in Saudi Arabia: The Ejar Contract Guide

Finding a place to live is one of the first big steps when you settle in Saudi Arabia, but signing a lease here is not just a private agreement between you and the landlord. Every residential rental contract must be registered on the Ejar electronic network to be legally valid and enforceable. In this Saudi Living guide, we walk you through how the Ejar system works, the step-by-step renting process, who pays the documentation fees, and why your Ejar certificate matters far beyond your front door.

What is Ejar and why it matters

Ejar is the national electronic network that documents residential and commercial leases in the Kingdom. It operates under the Real Estate General Authority and is integrated with national digital systems, including your national ID or iqama and Absher. Once a contract is registered on Ejar, it becomes a unified standard lease — a single, government-approved contract format that protects both tenant and landlord.

The most important benefit is legal weight. A registered Ejar contract is treated as an executive instrument, meaning it can be enforced directly through the Saudi enforcement courts without a lengthy separate lawsuit. This protects you if a dispute arises over rent, eviction, or deposits, and it protects the landlord if payments are missed.

How to log in and register

Contracts are documented digitally through the official Ejar portal at ejar.sa, which offers a dedicated residential lease registration e-service. Login uses Nafath single sign-on:

• Enter your national ID or iqama number to start authentication.
• Confirm your identity through the Nafath app or a verification code.
• Once verified, you can review and approve contracts tied to your ID.

In many cases, the process is initiated by a licensed real estate broker, who logs into Ejar, chooses “Contracts,” then “Register New Contract,” and selects “Residential” as the contract type.

The step-by-step renting sequence

Here is what a typical rental journey looks like once you have found a unit you like:

• Tenant and landlord agree on the unit, rent amount, contract period, payment schedule, and any utilities included.
• The broker or landlord starts a new residential contract in Ejar, entering property details, annual rent, the tenant's ID or iqama, and the full contract terms.
• The system sends an SMS or notification to the tenant to review and approve the contract electronically.
• After both parties approve and the fees are paid, the contract is registered and an electronic Ejar certificate is issued.

Always read the terms carefully before you approve — once you confirm electronically, the contract is binding.

Who pays the documentation fees?

Under the standard regulatory rule, the landlord is responsible for the contract documentation fees unless the parties agree otherwise in the contract text. So if you are a tenant, you generally should not be charged for registration — but do check what your contract states.

A commonly used residential fee schedule is 125 SAR for the first year and 250 SAR for each additional year. For example, a three-year residential contract would total 625 SAR in documentation fees (125 + 250 + 250), normally borne by the landlord.

You may notice some variation: certain official manuals still show a flat 125 SAR per year (with partial years rounded up), reflecting earlier rules or specific service variants, and some e-services apply a temporary first-year discount. Because fee structures can differ between services and can change, always confirm the exact amount at the moment of documentation on the official Ejar portal.

Why your Ejar certificate is essential

Your Ejar certificate is not just proof of your lease — it is a key that unlocks other everyday government and private services. Residents commonly use it for:

• Registering your national address.
• Opening or updating banking details.
• School registration for children.
• Residency and iqama-related procedures.

Keep a digital copy handy, since you will likely be asked for it more than once during your stay.

Practical tips for tenants

• Never rely on a handshake or an unregistered paper contract — insist on an Ejar-registered lease for your own protection.
• Confirm the rent, payment schedule, and which utilities are included are all reflected accurately in the contract before approving.
• Verify your broker is licensed if one is involved.
• Check the latest fees and rules directly on ejar.sa, as amounts and discounts can be updated.

With an Ejar contract in hand, you get a clear, enforceable agreement and smoother access to the services you'll need to settle into life in the Kingdom.

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