Renting in Saudi Arabia: How the Ejar Contract Works

Signing a lease in Saudi Arabia is no longer a matter of a handshake and a paper document. Whether you are a new arrival looking for your first apartment or a long-term resident renewing your home, your rental agreement must be documented electronically to be legally valid. This guide from سعودي ليفنج explains how the Ejar (إيجار) system works, what the Unified Ejar Contract gives you, and the practical steps and fees involved so you can rent with confidence.

Why every lease must be on Ejar

In Saudi Arabia, renting any residential or commercial unit requires a registered Ejar contract. An unregistered lease is not legally enforceable, and it can block linked services — including some court actions as well as utility and residency-related services. In short, if your contract is not on Ejar, it barely exists in the eyes of the system.

The platform operates under the Real Estate General Authority (REGA) and the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing. It uses a standardized “Unified Ejar Contract” that functions as an executive document, meaning it can be acted upon directly in enforcement courts. This applies nationwide to all rental contracts — residential, commercial, and mixed-use — regardless of the property type or where it is located.

What the Unified Ejar Contract gives you

The Unified Ejar Contract is the standard lease form, and only this contract — without conflicting extra conditions bolted on — is treated as an executive instrument for rapid enforcement under Execution Law Article 9. This matters in two big ways:

• Rent is locked for the fixed term. Once your lease is registered, the landlord cannot raise the rent until the contract expires.
• It is directly enforceable. The documented contract can be used in judicial and enforcement procedures for disputes and evictions, protecting both the tenant and the landlord.

How to register a residential lease step by step

Parties — landlord, tenant, and broker — access Ejar through the official website and mobile app. Everyone authenticates and signs digitally using نفاذ, the national single-sign-on system, which replaces paper signatures for most contracts as of 2026. The standard flow looks like this:

• The landlord or licensed real estate broker starts “Register Residential Lease Contract” from the Ejar dashboard.
• They enter the contract duration, the property and unit details, and the contract parties, including each person’s national ID or Iqama number.
• They add the financial information — rent amount, payment schedule — and the terms and conditions.
• The tenant reviews the contract and signs electronically via نفاذ. Once signed, the contract is documented and becomes enforceable.

Each contract must clearly identify the property, unit, and city, and link to the national address, so make sure the unit details match reality before you sign.

Ejar fees for residential contracts in 2026

For residential leases, published fees in 2026 are fixed rather than a percentage:

• 125 SAR for the first year of a residential contract.
• 250 SAR for each additional year of the same residential contract.

As an example, a three-year residential contract costs 625 SAR in total (125 + 250 + 250), and this is typically paid by the landlord at documentation. You may see older guidance mention fees of around 2.5% of annual rent shared between landlord and tenant, but for residential contracts the fixed per-year fees above are the currently published standard.

Practical tips before you sign

• Confirm the landlord or broker is the one issuing the contract through Ejar — never rely only on a paper agreement.
• Check that the rent, payment schedule, and duration in the digital contract match what you agreed verbally.
• Keep your نفاذ access ready, as you will use it to sign; do not share your login with anyone.
• Review the unit and city details and the linked national address carefully before signing.
• Save your copy of the documented contract — you may need it for utilities, residency, and any future dispute.

Because fees, procedures, and thresholds can be updated, always confirm the latest requirements and amounts on the official Ejar platform before you commit. Doing so keeps your lease valid, your rent protected, and your rights fully enforceable throughout your stay in the Kingdom.

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