Hiring, Renting, and Lease: Ruling on Tenant’s Rights to Compensation and Sarqoflī After Landlord’s Death

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Hiring, Renting, and Lease: Ruling on Tenant’s Rights to Compensation and Sarqoflī After Landlord’s Death

English:

Question #1655:

I leased a business property from its owner and paid him an amount as a sarqoflī for the property. I spent a lot of money to renovate the property. Ten years later, the heirs of the landlord have requested me to vacate the property and return it to them. Do I have to accede to their request? On the assumption that I have to, can I demand from them to pay me all the expenditure I incurred? And can I demand from them to pay me the sarqoflī for the property at the market price?

Answer #1655:

Whether the landlord should renew the lease or be allowed to demand vacant possession of the property as well as compensation for the money spent for the property are matters for the law of the land or the provisions of the lease contract signed by both the landlord and the tenant.
As for the sarqoflī for vacating the property, if it was transferred to the tenant by the landlord in a shar‘ī manner, or became thus by the force of the law, he has the right to demand payment of the real value of sarqoflī.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Hiring, Renting, and Lease