Looking for an apartment, villa or floor to rent in Riyadh? Or do you own a property you want to lease? This guide walks you through it step by step: choosing a district by the numbers, signing the contract on the Ejar platform, and your rights under the freeze on annual rent increases in Riyadh.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Regulations change, so always check the Ejar platform and the Real Estate General Authority (REGA) before any decision.
1. Choose the district by the numbers
Before you start searching, find out what rent people actually pay in the districts you are considering:
- The Riyadh rent prices by district page shows average rent for apartments, floors and villas in more than 80 districts, from registered Ejar contracts, with contract counts and yearly change.
- You can compare two neighborhoods side by side: rents and land prices.
For example, across Riyadh the average yearly rent in registered contracts (July 2025 – June 2026) is about SAR 30,742 for an apartment, SAR 41,455 for a floor, and SAR 104,449 for a villa. Districts differ widely, so don't rely on the city average.
2. Use a licensed broker and a licensed ad
- A real estate broker must hold a FAL license from REGA.
- A property ad must carry an advertising license, which you can verify through REGA's ad-license inquiry service.
- Agree on the broker's commission in writing before you start, and know who pays it.
3. The contract: on Ejar only
- Register the contract on the Ejar platform. It is created by a licensed broker registered on the platform and approved electronically by both parties.
- A registered residential Ejar contract is an enforceable instrument: if there is a dispute over money or eviction, it goes through the enforcement court without a long lawsuit.
- Review the terms before approving: duration, rent, payment schedule, any security deposit, and who covers maintenance and utilities.
- Registration fees are paid by the landlord unless the contract says otherwise. Check the current fees on the platform.
4. Handover and payment
- Document the property's condition at move-in with photos and details, and again at move-out. This protects both sides when the deposit is returned.
- Pay through traceable channels such as Ejar's payment options (e.g. SADAD), or make sure you get an electronic receipt for every payment. Cash without a receipt weakens your position.
5. The Riyadh annual rent-increase freeze
Since September 2025, a decision has frozen annual increases in rent for residential and commercial properties within Riyadh's urban boundary for five years, covering both existing and new contracts.
What this means in practice, based on the published rules:
- For tenants: the landlord cannot raise the rent in your contract during the freeze.
- A vacant unit that was rented before: its new rent may not exceed the last contract registered for it on Ejar. A unit never rented before is priced by agreement between the parties.
- If the owner does not want to renew in order to live in the property or house a first-degree relative, the tenant must be notified well before the contract ends (365 days was reported for residential contracts); otherwise the contract is extended.
For investors: if you buy a rented property in Riyadh, calculate the yield on the current rent as it is, because increases are frozen during the decision's period. See our real estate investment portfolio guide.
6. For landlords: lease quickly and safely
- Price against registered contracts in the district, not the highest ad. See the rents table.
- Advertise with an ad license through a licensed broker.
- Register the contract on Ejar and record the property's condition at handover.
- State clearly who covers maintenance and utilities, and the payment schedule.
Quick checklist before signing
- The broker holds a FAL license and the ad is licensed.
- You compared the rent with registered contracts in the district.
- The contract is registered on Ejar and you reviewed every term.
- You photographed the property's condition at move-in.
- Every payment has a receipt or went through Ejar channels.
Looking to rent, or to lease out your property?
Use the Submit a request page: choose the district, property type, budget, rooms and contract length, and I will follow up with you.
Sources
- Ejar platform and Real Estate General Authority.
- Okaz: Riyadh rental market measures (September 2026) (Arabic).
- Arabi21: Saudi Arabia freezes annual rent increases in Riyadh (Arabic).
- Okaz: Ejar contract registration fees (2022) (Arabic).
- Rent figures: REGA detailed rental indicator (registered Ejar contracts, July 2025 – June 2026).