Tenant ordered to pay BD2,200 after lease transfer ruled invalid

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

A shop handover done on paper but not in writing has left a former tenant with a BD2,200 rent bill, after judges ruled her ties to the premises had never been properly cut. The dispute centred on a commercial unit in Jurdab, let for BD550 a month.

The landlord brought a claim for BD3,850 in unpaid rent, covering several months.

The tenant argued she had sold the business and handed over the premises to another party.

Arrangement She said the new occupant had agreed to cover the rent going forward, and that the landlord had accepted the arrangement.

Papers submitted included a business sale agreement, a debt note, a rent receipt, and a bank transfer slip.

The court, however, heard that no written consent had been given for the transfer, and no formal notice had been served.

The landlord denied any agreement, verbal or otherwise, to pass the lease on.

Judges pointed to Bahrain’s tenancy law, which requires written approval from landlords before a lease can be reassigned.

Original lease

Without it, the original lease remains in force.

A request to add the alleged new tenant to the case was rejected.

The court said the claimant was free to pursue a separate claim but found the original tenant remained liable.

Demand

It accepted that rent for two of the claimed months had already been paid and threw out the demand for one further month on the grounds that the rent was not yet due when the case was brought.

The court ordered the tenant to pay BD2,200 for the remainder.

She was also ordered to pay BD30 in legal costs, along with BD101.420 in court expenses and BD10 in execution fees.