Lost Cheque Saves Restaurant from Eviction

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A long-established restaurant in Bahrain avoided eviction after the High Civil Appeals Court overturned a lower court judgment that had ordered its removal over alleged unpaid rent.

The dispute centred on claims that the tenant owed BD1,800 in rent for August to October 2025. The lower court had previously ruled in favour of the landlord, terminating the lease, ordering eviction from the premises, and requiring payment of the disputed amount, with immediate enforcement allowed upon a BD600 guarantee.

However, the appeals court reached a different conclusion after reviewing evidence submitted by the tenant, including rent cheques and communication records between both parties.

The court found that rent payments had in fact been made by cheque and accepted by the landlord, and that the tenancy had continued with mutual consent beyond the original lease term. As a result, it ruled that the lease had effectively been renewed under Bahrain’s rental law.

Lawyer Essam Al Tayyeb, representing the restaurant owner, said his client was surprised by the eviction case despite the business operating at the same location since 1997. He argued that rent had been paid up to June 2026 and that no outstanding debt existed.

Court documents showed that the landlord had not rejected, returned, or formally disputed the rent cheques. Messages presented in court also indicated that one cheque had been misplaced by the landlord, who later requested alternative payment through BenefitPay or a replacement cheque.