Renting a home in Saudi Arabia: an Ejar guide for new expats

Ejar is Saudi Arabia’s official electronic rental platform. The Real Estate General Authority (REGA) describes it as a system for regulating rentals and protecting tenants, landlords and brokers. For a new expatriate, the important point is simple: a promising viewing or a message from an agent is not a substitute for checking the contract that appears for approval.

1. Define the home you actually need

Begin with daily life rather than photographs. Test the journey to work at the time you will travel, check access to schools or healthcare, and ask whether the building permits the parking, pets or household arrangements you need. Clarify whether the unit is furnished and identify exactly which appliances, parking spaces, storage areas and shared facilities are included.

Build a total housing checklist without assuming that rent is the only commitment:

• rent instalment pattern and due dates shown in the proposed contract;
• deposit and the written conditions for its return;
• utilities, internet, air-conditioning servicing and building charges;
• brokerage or administration items shown before approval;
• maintenance responsibilities and the route for reporting faults.

2. Verify before paying or sharing documents

Ask the broker for their REGA licensing details and confirm that the person, office, property and owner details correspond with the proposed transaction. Do not rely on a social-media profile, business card or forwarded identity image. Ejar’s official model integrates identity, property and broker checks; use the live platform record as the reference.

View the exact unit, not only a sample flat. Confirm the building, floor, unit number, meter identifiers and parking bay. If somebody claims to act for the owner, ask how that authority will be reflected in the official transaction. Do not transfer a reservation, deposit or rent because someone says another tenant is waiting. First establish who receives the money, what it secures, whether it is refundable, and how it will be documented.

3. Inspect the property methodically

Use your phone notes and test, rather than merely look. Run taps and showers, check drainage and water pressure, switch on each air-conditioning unit, inspect sockets and appliances, and note signs of leaks, mould, pests or damaged seals. Check locks, entry systems, lifts, fire exits and smoke or safety equipment. Ask about mobile reception and which internet connections serve the building.

Photograph meter readings and existing damage with date information retained. Put unresolved faults in writing and state whether they must be repaired before handover or recorded as accepted defects. Verbal assurances are difficult to prove later.

4. Read the Ejar contract before authenticating it

Compare the live contract with the property and every written promise. Check the Arabic and English names, passport or Iqama details, landlord, broker, address, unit, permitted use, start and end dates, total rent, instalments, deposit, included items and contact details. Review clauses on maintenance, subletting, early termination, renewal, non-renewal and handover. If a field is wrong, request correction before approval rather than accepting on the understanding that it will be fixed later.

5. Authenticate and pay through traceable channels

Only approve when the contract shown in Ejar matches what you agreed. Save the authenticated contract and payment schedule. REGA states that designated digital channels for new residential contracts include Ejar-linked Mada and SADAD payments; payments outside the designated channels may not be recognised as proof of payment. Follow the payment request tied to your contract, verify the payee and contract reference, and keep the confirmation.

Avoid cash and transfers to an unrelated personal account. If a legitimate adjustment is needed, have it reflected through the official contract or payment process rather than relying on a chat message.

6. Complete a proper handover

1. Create a room-by-room photo and video record before moving belongings in.
2. List keys, access cards, remotes, appliances, furniture and parking access.
3. Record electricity and water meter numbers and readings.
4. Send the signed condition report through a provable channel and keep acknowledgement.
5. Register or update the National Address using the exact authenticated unit details.

During the tenancy, report faults promptly in writing. Keep requests, responses, invoices and photographs together with the contract. Before renewal, read notices inside Ejar and re-check the proposed dates, rent and terms; do not assume the previous arrangement continues unchanged. At move-out, repeat the inventory, photograph readings, return access items against acknowledgement and request a written account of any proposed deduction.

When to get help

Use Ejar or REGA support if the contract, broker, payment record or property data does not match, or if an official transaction is missing. Obtain independent Saudi legal advice before approving unfamiliar termination, waiver or settlement wording, and when there is a serious dispute over possession, eviction, withheld money or liability. A qualified translator can help if you cannot confidently understand the controlling contract text. This guide is general information, not legal advice.