Bahrain: Court Orders Eviction Of Tenant From Isa Town Market For BD262,000 Unpaid Rent
The High Appeals Court upheld the eviction of a tenant from a building in a popular market in Bahrain and the cancellation of his lease agreement due to his failure to pay the overdue rent, which amounted to BD262,000 owed to the Southern Municipality. The court also affirmed his obligation to fully pay the outstanding amount.
The tenant had appealed the initial court ruling, claiming that the municipality’s demands were limited to eviction and payment of rent without seeking termination of the contract. He argued that he had already paid BD182,000 of the owed amount, and therefore, by paying the remaining sum, the eviction request should be dropped.
The Appeals Court confirmed that the lease agreement stipulated the municipality’s right to cancel the lease and revoke the occupancy licence of the tenant’s premises in case of two consecutive months of non-payment or the return of a bounced check by the bank.
The amount of BD262,000 owed by the tenant constituted a breach of his obligations under the lease agreement, allowing the municipality to cancel the lease and evacuate the licensed premises. The court emphasised that the tenant’s payment of the rent after its due dates did not prevent the appellant from cancelling the lease and requesting eviction, as it met the conditions for such actions.
The Southern Municipality had requested, in its lawsuit, to compel the defendant (the tenant) to pay the agreed-upon rent, which amounted to BD262,000 and was outstanding in his name, while also obligating him to vacate the property located in the popular market in the city of Isa.
The claim was based on the argument that the plaintiff owned the property in question, a shop in the popular market of Isa Town and that the defendant had entered into a lease agreement with it. While it fulfilled the contractual obligations, the defendant refused to pay the rent without valid justification, resulting in accumulated arrears of BD262,000. Despite notifying him of the necessity of settling the amount, he took no action to fulfil his obligations.
