Is your lease about to end? Wondering whether it will renew automatically, or whether your landlord can raise the rent or ask you to move out?
With the latest updates to Saudi Arabia's rental regulations, some of the rules on lease renewal have changed, especially in Riyadh, which now has its own rules to protect tenants and regulate the relationship between tenants and landlords.
In this guide, we explain how lease renewal works in Saudi Arabia in 2026, the conditions for automatic renewal, the rights of tenants and landlords, and the key rules that apply in Riyadh.
Yes. Under the new regulations, automatic renewal is now the default for lease contracts covered by the system in all cities across the Kingdom.
This means that if your lease term ends and no valid notice of non-renewal was given within the required notice period, the lease renews automatically, subject to specific exceptions and rules.
What are the key conditions?
There are also transitional exceptions for some leases that were close to expiring when the new rules took effect, so it's important to check your lease status on the Ejar platform.
This is the most important change you need to know about.
Since 25 September 2025, new rules have applied to properties within Riyadh's urban boundary, aimed at curbing rising rents and giving tenants more stability.
In other cities, such as Jeddah, Dammam and Al Khobar, a landlord can generally notify the tenant that they don't wish to renew at least 60 days before the lease ends, subject to any specific rules or decisions that apply to the property.
Riyadh is different.
If you're a tenant within Riyadh's urban boundary and want to renew your lease, your landlord can't refuse renewal and make you vacate the property simply because they want to.
They must have one of the legal grounds that allow non-renewal.
This protection covers properties within Riyadh's urban boundary, and not necessarily every governorate in the Riyadh region.
The regulations set out three main cases in which a landlord can request non-renewal:
The Real Estate General Authority (REGA) may add further cases through official decisions.
Under an official update issued in 2026, the notice period for non-renewal is now at least 365 days for standard residential leases when the reason is that the landlord wants to use the property as their own home or for a first-degree relative.
In March 2026, it was clarified that this notice period also applies to residential leases that were in force when the new rules took effect.
If the 365-day period hasn't been completed before the lease ends, the lease is renewed for the time needed to complete the notice period, counted from the date the notice was given.
So if your landlord tells you only four months before your lease ends that they need the property as their own home, that doesn't necessarily mean you have to move out once those four months are up, because the legal notice period still applies.
No. As a rule, landlords can't increase the rent during the annual rent increase freeze in Riyadh.
The decision took effect on 25 September 2025 for five years and covers residential and commercial properties within Riyadh's urban boundary, for both existing and new leases.
Here's an example:
If you rent an apartment in Riyadh for SAR 48,000 a year and your lease ends while the decision is in force, your landlord can't raise the rent to SAR 55,000 just because the lease is being renewed.
Likewise, if an apartment is vacant and has been rented before, its total rent can't exceed the value of the last registered lease for that property, in line with the rules.
For a property that has never been rented, the first rent is agreed between the landlord and the tenant.
There are specific cases in which a landlord can formally object to the rent set for a vacant property, such as after major structural renovations or if the last lease was signed before 2024, subject to approval by the competent authority.
And if you're moving to a new property, check the average rent in the neighborhood before you sign, using the Rental Index.
The Ejar platform offers online services to renew and register leases, either through automatic renewal or its contract re-issue service.
If you need to re-issue your lease, the steps are:
Re-issuing a contract is different from automatic renewal: re-issuing requires an online request and acceptance, while automatic renewal follows the regulations and the service available on the platform.
Ejar states that the fee for the automatic renewal service is paid by the landlord.
If you want to keep living in the property but your landlord refuses to renew without a legal reason, follow these steps:
It's best not to ignore notices you receive on the Ejar platform, even if you believe the eviction request breaks the rules.
Renewing your lease isn't just about paperwork and registration; it's also a chance to plan your budget for the new year.
Even if the rent stays the same, an annual or semi-annual payment can still put a strain on your budget.
For example, if your annual rent is SAR 60,000, that's SAR 5,000 a month, but paying the full amount at once can be difficult.
This is where Rize comes in. Rize offers a rent-splitting service that lets eligible tenants split their annual rent into 12 monthly payments, subject to the service terms and application approval.
In some cases, Rize can also be used with existing leases, depending on the contract status and whether it can be renewed or re-issued under the required procedures.
Learn about rent splitting with Rize, or read our guide to paying rent monthly in Saudi Arabia.
Outside areas with special rules, a landlord can generally notify the tenant that they don't wish to renew within the legal notice period. Within Riyadh's urban boundary, however, the landlord can't refuse renewal if the tenant wants to stay, except for specific legal reasons.
As a rule, at least 60 days before the lease ends. If the landlord wants to end a standard residential lease because they need the property as their own home or for a first-degree relative, a 365-day notice period applies under the decisions issued in 2026.
Yes. A tenant can notify the other party that they don't wish to renew at least 60 days before the lease ends, without having to give a reason, subject to the legal exceptions.
No. The five-year freeze on annual rent increases applies to properties within Riyadh's urban boundary, although similar rules may be applied to other areas through official decisions.
If the property has been rented before, the total rent for the vacant property can't exceed the last lease under the rules that apply in Riyadh, with specific cases in which a formal objection is allowed.
Yes. The Ejar platform offers a contract re-issue service before the lease ends or as it nears its end, depending on the contract status and the services available.
Lease renewal rules in Saudi Arabia are now clearer, with automatic renewal as the general rule and extra protections for tenants in Riyadh.
If you rent in Riyadh, the most important thing to know is that your landlord can't raise the rent or refuse renewal simply because they want to, as long as your lease falls under the new rules and there's no legal reason that allows it.
Before your lease ends, check its status on the Ejar platform, review any notices you've received, and plan your finances for the new year.
And if you're looking for an easier way to manage your annual rent, discover how Rize helps you split your rent into 12 flexible monthly payments.
Information last updated: 10 November 2026. This information is for general guidance only; always refer to the official regulations and your registered lease to confirm your rights in each case.
