Defaulting tenants is a major problem facing landlords in the Kingdom. Some tenants delay payment of rent because of financial problems or other reasons beyond their control while others are deliberately late. Many citizens who have made investments in the housing sector face similar problems.

Therefore, some building owners resort to disconnecting electricity as the only alternative to force the defaulting tenant to pay the rent. However, tenants and legal experts say these landlords disregard the consequences of such a drastic step. For example, elderly members of the household might need electricity to continue their medical treatment.

Most of those who spoke to Al-Riyadh agree that disconnecting the electricity is too drastic a measure. They said other punitive measures could be taken against the tenant instead of punishing his dependents. They also called for enacting legislation to enforce this.

Umm Bassam Naeem, a housewife, said disconnecting electricity to a house for reasons other than payment of a utility bill is an act that is inhuman and unjustifiable. “Those living in the house are paying the price for something that is not their fault. They become victims of the actions committed by an irresponsible head of the household,” she said. When a man is on a foreign or domestic trip for a long period of time, there may not be any way for his family members to meet their daily expenses. If this is the case, how can they find money to pay the rent, she asked.

Umm Bassam urged the authorities to enact a law under which only the tenant would be responsible for the prompt payment of house rent. “The tenant’s family members should not be punished under any circumstances using drastic measures such as the disconnection of water and electricity as these are basic necessities,” she said.

Echoing the same view, Naeema Saad, a divorcee who is living with her children in a rented house, said that disconnecting the electricity is disastrous for the family members. “My divorced husband refused to pay rent for the house where I live with our children. Therefore, I tried my best to collect the money from my relatives but failed to raise the full amount. Therefore, the landlord disconnected the electricity. We had to lead a horrible life without electricity for about 10 days until I had managed to pay the outstanding amount.”

Lawyer Bandar Al-Mohraj stressed that disconnecting electricity should not be the first option exercised by landlords to compel tenants to promptly pay rent. The landlord should take a number of other measures first, he said.

“First of all, the landlord should persuade the tenant to fulfill his responsibility of making a prompt payment of rent. He should also make him aware that other tenants could also follow his example of defaulting and thus putting him in a precarious condition. If payment is still not received, he should issue a warning that he will disconnect the electricity before doing this as a last and unavoidable act,” he said, while stressing that the landlord should also take into account the living conditions of the tenant before taking such a measure. Al-Mohraj also described the absence of a specific law allowing penal action to be taken against rent defaulters as the reason why some landlords resort to disconnecting electricity and water services.

Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, member of the academic faculty at King Faisal University, said disconnecting the electricity of defaulters is the practice of some lazy landlords who see it as the easiest way to force their tenants to pay up.

“This act is virtually punishing the tenant’s family members, including women, children, elderly and the sick for a fault that is not theirs. This cannot be justified under any circumstances. Detention of the rent defaulter is better than disconnecting electricity,” he said while urging the authorities to enact necessary legislation to encourage alternative measures to persuade tenants to pay rent on time.