Rentals in Bahrain fall under the Real Estate Rental Law, issued by Law No. 27 of 2014, and its amendments. Landlords and tenants should know five rules above all. Register the contract within one month, or the court won’t hear your case. Know that a tenant is protected from eviction for three years in residential rentals and seven in commercial ones, unless you agree otherwise in writing.
Expect rent to go up only after two years, by 5% for residential and 7% for other uses. Remember that eviction is allowed only in the cases the law lists. And take disputes to the High Civil Court.
We gathered the law’s provisions on this page as they appear in the updated text, and we point to the article behind each one. Use it to see where you stand before you sign a contract or send a notice.
Table of Content
Which Properties Does the Real Estate Rental Law Apply To?
The law applies to properties, and parts of properties, made for housing or for industrial, commercial, professional, or craft use, among others. It also covers existing lease contracts. Article (2) sets a few exceptions, such as land and buildings in industrial zones that have their own special law.
Registering the Lease Contract: The Requirement Many People Miss
- Put the lease in writing. Then register it, along with any amendment, at the lease registration office within one month of signing (Article 3).
- The landlord pays the registration costs (Article 7).
- The court does not accept claims arising from an unregistered lease (Article 8/a). So if your contract isn’t registered, make that your first move before any dispute.
- You can also notarize the contract, which turns it into an enforceable instrument. At the end of the term, the landlord can then take the property back under the Enforcement Judge’s supervision, with no new eviction lawsuit (Article 8/b).
Advance Payment and Security Deposit
- In residential rentals, the cash advance can’t be more than three months’ rent. For other uses, the parties can agree on a different amount (Article 19/a).
- The security deposit can’t be more than one month’s rent. The landlord returns it when the contract ends, or when the tenant leaves and hands over the property, after deducting anything owed (Article 19/b).
Lease Term and When the Landlord Can Ask for Eviction
If the contract sets no term, or the term can’t be proved, the lease runs for the period used to pay the rent (Article 4). But the most important rule in the law is the minimum period a tenant can stay in the property:
| Type of lease | Eviction can’t be requested before | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | 3 years from handover | Article 35/a |
| Commercial, industrial, professional, or craft | 7 years from handover | Article 35/a |
These periods apply to contracts signed after the law came into force, unless both sides agree otherwise in writing. If your contract is shorter, you can renew it until you complete the period. Notify the landlord by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt at least three months before the contract ends (Article 35/b).
The contract ends when its term ends. If the tenant stays in the property with the landlord’s knowledge and without objection, the lease counts as extended for a similar period on the same terms. A tenant who wants to leave must notify the landlord by registered letter at least three months before the contract ends (Article 34).
Rent Increases: How Much and When?
The landlord can’t raise the rent until two years have passed since the contract began or since the last increase. The increase is 5% for residential and 7% for commercial, industrial, professional, and craft rentals, and it can happen at most five times during the contract, unless you agree otherwise in writing. The landlord must tell the tenant about the increase by registered letter at least three months before the second year ends (Article 27).
Example: an apartment rents for 300 dinars, and the contract started in January 2025. The increase can’t come before January 2027, and it would be 15 dinars (5%), so the rent becomes 315 dinars. The notice has to arrive before October 2026.
Duties of the Landlord and the Tenant
Landlord’s Duties
- Hand over the property and its accessories in a condition fit for the agreed use (Article 9).
- Do the necessary maintenance. If the landlord delays after getting a registered notice, the tenant can do the work and deduct the cost from the rent. The tenant can also ask for a rent reduction or cancel the contract, depending on the case (Article 10).
- Don’t interfere with the tenant’s use of the property (Article 20), and don’t rent the same property to more than one person (Article 21).
Tenant’s Duties
- Cover routine maintenance and the water, electricity, phone, and shared service bills, unless you agree otherwise (Article 26).
- Don’t assign the lease or sublet without the landlord’s written permission (Article 29).
- Return the property at the end of the lease in the condition it was in when you received it. Otherwise, the tenant owes rent until actual handover, plus compensation (Article 28).
Eviction Cases Under Bahrain’s Rental Law
Article (38) lists the cases where the landlord can ask for eviction. The main ones are:
- The tenant doesn’t pay the rent for two months in a row. The court may refuse to order eviction if the tenant shows a strong excuse and pays everything due, plus court costs, by the end of the first hearing they were notified of. But if the tenant is late twice during the contract without a valid reason, the court must order eviction.
- Assigning the lease or subletting without written permission.
- Housing more people in a residential property than is normal.
- Using the property against the contract or its purpose, against public order, or in a way that harms the landlord, or making changes that harm the building’s structural safety.
- The building becomes unsafe and likely to collapse, or a final decision is issued to demolish it.
- Twenty-five years have passed since the building was built, or the area’s classification has changed, and the landlord wants to demolish and rebuild within one year of eviction.
- The landlord needs to live in the property, or a first-degree relative does, provided there is a written agreement with the tenant on this, the tenant gets six months’ notice, and the person actually lives there for at least a year.
- The owner lives outside the area or is traveling outside the Kingdom, owns no other property, and wants to live there on return, as long as the contract says so.
- The tenant has left the property for at least a year.
In cases of demolition, owner need, and return from abroad, the court can give the tenant a grace period to leave of up to three months for residential and six months for other uses (Article 39).
Death of the Landlord or Tenant
Death doesn’t end the lease. The tenant’s heirs can ask to end it within one year at most from the date of death (Article 36).
Where Are Rental Cases Filed?
The High Civil Court handles disputes arising under the rental law. Its judgment is final if the claim doesn’t exceed 1,000 dinars, except in specific cases, such as breaking the jurisdiction rules or nullity (Article 5). As for the “Rental Disputes Committee” that many older articles mention, the chapter about it was removed from the law.
Has a New Real Estate Rental Law Been Issued in Bahrain?
As of this review (October 2026), the law in force is the 2014 law and its amendments. A draft amendment is still under discussion between the Council of Representatives and the Shura Council. It covers suspending the rent if the landlord refuses to take back the property after the contract ends, and limiting automatic renewal to one year for contracts of one year or more. It hasn’t been approved yet, and we’ll update this page when it is.
When Do You Need a Lawyer in a Rental Dispute?
Call a lawyer before you send an eviction notice or a rent increase notice, since a mistake in the deadline or in the way you deliver it can make the step invalid. Do the same if your contract isn’t registered or has terms that go against the law. To contact a rental lawyer: 97337677637.
Frequently Asked Questions About Real Estate Rental Law
Do I have to register a lease contract in Bahrain?
Yes, within one month of signing it. The court does not accept claims arising from an unregistered contract.
Can the landlord raise the rent every year?
No. An increase can come only after two years at least, by 5% for residential and 7% for other uses, unless both sides agree otherwise in writing.
When can a landlord evict a tenant?
In the cases listed in Article 38. The main ones are two months of unpaid rent in a row, subletting without permission, and the owner’s need to live there, which requires a prior written agreement. Eviction can’t be requested before 3 years in residential rentals and 7 in commercial ones, unless you agree otherwise in writing.
How much security deposit is allowed?
No more than one month’s rent. It is returned when the contract ends, after deducting anything owed.
How much notice must a tenant give before leaving?
At least three months before the contract ends, by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt.
Official References
- Law No. 27 of 2014 Issuing the Real Estate Rental Law and its amendments: Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission
- News of the draft amendment to the Rental Law (October 17, 2026): Al-Bilad newspaper (Arabic)
Written and reviewed by lawyer Abdulrahman Khalifa, a Bahraini lawyer. The articles were checked against the updated text on October 21, 2026. The information is general and does not replace a review of your own contract.
A Bahraini lawyer and the founder of a legal consultancy firm established in February 2019. He holds a Higher Degree in Sharia and Law from Al-Azhar University. He has extensive experience in court representation and providing legal advice in criminal, personal status, civil, and commercial matters. He is known for delivering clear, practical, and effective legal advice aimed at protecting his clients’ rights and interests, and has achieved tangible results in notable cases, including commercial litigation and inheritance matters
