Article 20 of Tenancy Law

By way of exception to the provisions of Article 19, the lessor may not request—even upon expiry of the lease term—the eviction of the leased premises, other than vacant land, except for one of the following reasons: 1 - If the lessee fails to pay the rent due from him under the terms of the contract or under the judgment determining it within twenty days from its due date prescribed in Article -10-. However, the judge may rule that the action be deemed never to have been brought, while ordering the lessee to pay the costs, if the lessee establishes that his delay is attributable to a compelling excuse accepted by the court and pays all rent due by the end of the first hearing of which he has been duly notified. The rent may be delivered to the hearing clerk for deposit in the treasury of the Execution Department without formalities if the lessor refuses to receive it. Travel or absence from the country shall not constitute 1( The final paragraph of item number 1 was added pursuant to Law No. 15 of 2020 The Law acceptable excuses for delay in payment of rent. In all cases, eviction of the leased premises may not be ordered if the lessee fails to pay the rent during the period in which the Council of Ministers decides to suspend or halt work in all public facilities of the State for the protection of security, public peace, or public health, as required by the supreme interest of the country, provided that the court determines the manner in which the lessee shall pay the rent arrears according to the circumstances of the action. 2- If the lessee has sublet the leased premises or part thereof, assigned the lease contract to a third party, vacated the premises in favour of a person other than their owner or his representative, or accommodated with him in premises intended for residence a person who was not a party to the lease contract, actually or constructively, in all such cases where the lessor has not authorized this by express written permission. In applying this paragraph, occupation of the premises by a person other than the lessee shall constitute a presumption in favour of the lessor that a ground for eviction exists, and the lessee may prove the contrary. 3 - If the lessee uses the leased premises, or permits their use, in a manner inconsistent with the reasonable terms of the lease contract, contrary to public order or public morals, or detrimental to the lessor's moral or material interests. 4 - If the premises are leased for conducting trade therein and the lessee closes them, without an excuse accepted by the court, for a period exceeding six months, even if he pays the rent. 5 - If it is established that the leased premises have become liable to collapse and pose a feared threat to the safety of the occupants, or a binding demolition decision has been issued by the competent planning authority. 6 - If the owner wishes to demolish the leased premises to rebuild them anew, in any of the following cases: a - If at least twenty-five years have elapsed from the date of completion of the original construction. This period may be amended by decree. b - The municipality's addition to the property of land having an area of not less than ten per cent of its area, whether because of the existence of planning surplus land or an alteration of the property's boundaries. c - The erection of modern investment or commercial buildings in place of houses and buildings commonly called Arab houses. In all these cases, the volume of the new building must exceed that of the old building by at least fifty per cent. This percentage may be amended by decree. If the building regulations do not permit an increase to this percentage, the highest percentage permitted by those regulations must be followed. Eviction may not be ordered until the necessary licences have been obtained from the competent authority. The owner must commence demolition within six months from the date of eviction and begin construction within a period specified by the municipality in the necessary licences. If the owner fails to comply with either of the two aforementioned time limits, the lessee shall, as the case may be, have the right to return to occupy the premises or to compensation if there are grounds for it. 7 - If the lessor wishes to add storeys to the building and there is no agreement preventing him from doing so, provided that The Law it is not possible to add the storeys while the lessee remains in the leased premises. Eviction shall not be ordered before the necessary licences have been obtained from the competent authority. The lessor must commence the addition of storeys before six months have elapsed from the date of eviction. If he delays without an acceptable excuse, the lessee shall have the right to return to occupy the leased premises or to compensation if there are grounds for it. If the lessor does not wish to evict and the works to add storeys result in a partial or temporary evacuation in the enjoyment of the premises, the lessee may rescind the contract or demand a reduction in rent commensurate with the reduction in enjoyment. 8 - If the owner has a need to reside in his property himself or to accommodate one of his wives or one of his ascendants or descendants, or if the owner of the property owns nothing other than the leased premises and wishes to reside therein himself. The owner may choose the premises in which he wishes to reside. If the owner does not occupy the leased premises, without an acceptable excuse, within six months from the date of eviction, compensation may be awarded to the lessee if there are grounds for it. 9 - If the leased premises are situated within the owner's private residence and the owner wishes to exploit them or occupy them himself or through one of his ascendants or descendants or a person whom he supports. 10- If the father of a minor was conducting trade in one or more premises owned by or allocated to him, and the testamentary guardian leased them to the lessee after his death, and the minor needs those premises within one year from the date of attaining the age of majority to conduct trade therein and has no other commercial premises. If he does not occupy the premises himself within six months from the date of eviction, the lessee may return to occupy the premises or claim compensation if there are grounds for it. 11- If the leased premises are a place for conducting trade or practising a profession and a judicial judgment or administrative decision has been issued deporting the lessee.