President al-Assad issues law on leasing real-estate properties

Damascus, SANA – President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday issued Law No. 20 for 2015 on leasing real-estate properties for housing, vacationing, tourism, recreation, business, industrial or vocational activities, or practicing legally-regulated professions.

As per the law, leasing contracts are subject to the volition of contracting parties in all the aforementioned cases, as well as in the cases of properties leased to public-sector establishments and sides, educational establishments, political parties, civil organizations, unions, and associations.

The law sets the rates of properties’ rent depending on the type of property as listed above. For example, the rates for properties leased for housing purposes are proposed at 1-5% of the property’s value plus 20% of the value of furniture listed in the lease.

Leases are registered at administrative units such as governorates, municipalities, etc. and registration applications only accepted from full owner of the leased property or the person who owns 75% of the shares listed in the property’s real-estate records.

The law also sets the regulations and rules for litigation among contracting parties in leasing, as well as stipulating for the conditions of eviction in the case of defaulting on paying the rent or in case of vandalism of the property or using it in a way that violates the conditions of the contract, in addition to setting provisions for protecting tenants from being pressured or harassed by landlords to vacate the property.

Hazem Sabbagh

Check Also

UNRWA: 75,000 Palestinians northern Gaza strip face ‘diminishing conditions for survival’

New York, SANA – United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned …