High Civil Court orders sub-tenant to be reimbursed BD3,500

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Civil Court in Bahrain ordered a restaurant sub-tenant to be reimbursed BD3,500 after the original landlord refused to hand over the property despite the sub-tenant paying rent and completing renovations.

The court ruled that the original tenant did not have the right to sublet the property, rendering the sub-lease agreement invalid.

Lawyer Zahda Ahmed, representing the sub-tenant, explained that her client had leased the restaurant in Ras Ruman and paid over BD3,500 in rent, municipal fees, electricity bills, and cleaning costs.

The sub-tenant received lease agreements and proceeded to renovate and decorate the property.

However, upon completion, the original landlord refused to hand over the keys, revealing that the sub-tenant’s lease was invalid as the original tenant did not have the right to sublet.

Criminal complaint The sub-tenant filed a criminal complaint against the original tenant, who admitted to the agreement.

During the court proceedings, witnesses testified that the sub-tenant had paid over BD3,500 in rent and had completed renovations before being denied access to the property.

The court examined the lease agreement and confirmed that the original tenant was not authorised to sublet the property.

The court ruled that the original tenant’s actions were invalid due to the lack of authorisation from the original landlord.

Property The court also recognised that the sub-tenant had not benefited from the property, thus entitling them to a refund of the rent paid.

As rent is directly linked to the benefit derived from the property, the court ordered the original tenant to reimburse the sub-tenant BD3,500.

Furthermore, the court acknowledged the sub-tenant’s claim for compensation for emotional distress and awarded BD50 in damages.

Based on these findings, the court ordered the original tenant to pay the sub-tenant a total of BD3,550, including court costs.