Who registers the lease, and what does it cost?

The landlord, within two months of signing. The fee is a fixed QR250 per unit for each registration, replacing the old fee based on annual rent.

Does the committee hear disputes over hotel apartments or staff housing?

Yes, as to jurisdiction: the amended Article 22 covers the categories Article 2 excludes. Whether the law's other rules apply to them is a separate question.

Can a tenant deduct repair costs from the rent?

Only through the route the law sets: written notice to the landlord, then the committee's permission to repair and deduct the cost if the landlord delays.

A tenant handing a lease file to a clerk at a service counter.

Property & rental7 min read

How do rental disputes work in Qatar after the 2026 amendment?

Faysel Al-Mohannadi, lawyer, at Al Faisal Law Firm in Doha

Faysel Al-MohannadiLawyer admitted before the Court of Cassation · Reviewed on 18 October 2026

Short answer

Since 3 September 2026, according to the Ministry of Municipality, the Rental Disputes Settlement Committee alone decides disputes between landlords and tenants, and courts will not accept a lease lawsuit until the committee has ruled. Its decisions can be appealed to the Court of Appeal within 15 days. Registering a lease now costs a fixed QR250 per unit.

What changed in the 2026 amendment?

Law No. 8 of 2026 amends Law No. 4 of 2008 on leasing real estate. It was published in the Official Gazette (Issue 13 of 2026), and the Ministry of Municipality announced that it took effect on 3 September 2026. It replaces four provisions and adds one article.

Topic	Before	After	Article
Committee jurisdiction	Disputes over leases covered by the law	All landlord-tenant disputes, exclusively, including the categories Article 2 excludes	22
Going to court	No express rule requiring the committee first	Courts will not accept a lawsuit until the committee has received and decided the claim	22
Appeals	Competent Court of Appeal, 15 days	Court of Appeal, 15 days (unchanged)	24
Registration fee	0.5 per cent of annual rent per unit, QR250 minimum, QR2,500 maximum	Fixed QR250 per unit for each registration	20(2)
Leases by users of State property	Outside the law (Article 2)	Must be registered within two months, fee exempt	20 bis
Settling a registration offence	Half the maximum fine (QR5,000) plus the fee	One tenth (QR1,000) plus the fee; now also covers Article 20 bis	26 bis

The amending law has no transitional rule for pending court cases. It leaves committee procedure and fees to a Council of Ministers decision, and Al Meezan still lists Decision No. 37 of 2008 for this.

Which disputes go to the Rental Disputes Settlement Committee?

The committee alone decides, on an urgent basis, every dispute arising from a landlord-tenant relationship. It sits within the Ministry of Municipality and is chaired by a Court of First Instance judge chosen by the Supreme Judicial Council.

Unpaid rent, and eviction for non-payment (Article 19).
Eviction on the other Article 19 grounds, such as demolition or the landlord's own use.
Rent reduction or termination when the property is not fit for use, and permission for the tenant to do repairs (Articles 4 and 5).
Depositing rent with the committee when a landlord refuses it (Article 11).
Disagreements over deposits, rent increases or alterations.

The committee now also hears disputes from the categories Article 2 excludes: State property, agricultural and vacant land, industrial support services land, hotel and tourist units, and staff and worker housing provided by the State or companies.

How do you file a case with the committee?

You file a written application with the committee secretariat and pay the set fee, under Council of Ministers Decision No. 37 of 2008. Check with the Ministry of Municipality which filing channels are open.

Gather the lease and your supporting documents, and check whether the lease is registered.
Write the application: both parties' details, what you are asking for and why.
Attach an explanatory memorandum, your documents and a certified Arabic translation of anything not in Arabic.
Submit it to the secretariat, pay the fee and keep the receipt.
The chair sets a hearing, and the other party is notified at least seven days before it.
Attend in person or through an agent. An application can be struck out if the applicant misses the hearings.
The committee decides within three months, extendable to six months in total, plus any time needed for expert work.

The application must include	Decision 37/2008
Names of both parties, with each one's capacity, nationality and address	Art. 4
The subject of the claim and its grounds	Art. 4
An explanatory memorandum and a file of documents, such as the lease, receipts and written notices	Art. 4
A copy for each party, plus one for the secretariat	Art. 4
A certified Arabic translation of any document in another language	Art. 4
The application fee, set at QR100 unless since changed	Art. 20

At any stage, the committee may invite the parties to settle. If they agree, it records the settlement in a final decision.

Why does lease registration matter?

The landlord must register the lease with the Ministry of Municipality's Lease Contracts Registration Office within two months of signing. This matters to both sides.

A landlord's claims under an unregistered lease will not be heard by the committee or the courts, except a claim to prove a lease made before 15 February 2008 (Article 3).
Service providers must not serve a leased property without a registered lease (Article 20(3)).
The fee is QR250 per residential, commercial or other unit for each registration. The Council of Ministers may change it (Article 20(2)).
Failing to register carries a fine of up to QR10,000. It can be settled before final judgment for QR1,000, one tenth of the maximum, plus the fee (Article 26 bis).
Users of State property who lease to others, where their contracts allow it, must register within two months, with no fee (Article 20 bis).

What does the law say about common disputes?

These rules come from Law No. 4 of 2008 on Al Meezan. The 2026 amendment did not change them, and disputes about them go to the committee first.

Dispute	What the law says	Article
Unpaid rent	The tenant pays the full rent within seven days of the due date, against a receipt. The landlord may seek eviction for non-payment unless the tenant shows an excuse the committee accepts	11, 19(1)
Landlord refuses rent	The tenant notifies the landlord by registered letter, then deposits the rent with the committee. This counts as payment on time	11
Eviction	A lease ends with its term, but renews on the same terms if the tenant stays on with the landlord's knowledge and no objection. The landlord may seek eviction, even mid-term, on the Article 19 grounds; some need six months' notice	15, 19
Security deposit	No more than two months' rent for residential property. Other uses can agree otherwise	7
Rent increase	Only within the rules, periods and rates set by a Council of Ministers decision	10
Repairs	The landlord hands over a usable property and does necessary maintenance. If the landlord delays after written notice, the tenant can ask the committee for leave to repair and deduct the cost from rent	4, 5
Alterations and subletting	Need the landlord's written permission	8, 14

The leasing law sets no deadline for returning a deposit. On rent increases, check the lease and whether a Council of Ministers decision currently applies.

Can you appeal a committee decision?

Yes. Either party can appeal to the Court of Appeal within 15 days: from the decision date if it was made in their presence, or from the day after notification if made in their absence.

Committee decisions have the force of an enforceable instrument (Article 23).
They carry provisional enforcement, so they can be carried out while an appeal is pending. Only the Court of Appeal can stay them (Article 25).

When should you speak to a lawyer?

Either party can appear before the committee in person or through an agent. Legal advice may help when:

You have a committee decision and the 15-day appeal window is running.
You face an eviction request, or want to recover a property on an Article 19 ground.
You are a landlord with an unregistered lease.
A court case was filed before 3 September 2026 and you are unsure where it now belongs.
The lease covers a hotel unit, staff housing or State property.
The dispute involves a commercial lease, a large sum or a returned rent cheque.
The other party has a lawyer.

What the law says

Based on Law No. 4 of 2008 on leasing real estate, as last amended by Law No. 8 of 2026 (Official Gazette, Issue 13 of 2026), mainly Articles 3, 7, 10, 11, 15, 19, 20, 20 bis, 22 to 25 and 26 bis. Committee procedure follows Council of Ministers Decision No. 37 of 2008, as amended by Decision No. 4 of 2014. Texts checked on Al Meezan on 18 October 2026.

Read on Al Meezan

Questions people ask

No. Under the amended Article 22, courts will not accept a lawsuit on a dispute within the committee's remit until the committee has received and decided the claim.