أثر الظروف الطارئة على التزام المستأجر بدفع الأجرة : جائحة كورونا أنموذجا : دراسة مقارنة

Abstract EN

Since the beginning of 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19, has surprisingly and rapidly swept the whole world.

The spread of COVID-19—including the preventive measures that were taken by the countries to confront it with the aim of mitigating its health, economic, or any other effects and consequences—has many negative effects on the course of life.

Contractual relations, including the procedures and decisions taken, were among the aspects of life most affected by the pandemic.

Consequently, the pandemic creates a major imbalance in the rights and obligations arising from the contractual relations which caused the implementation of the obligation to be impossible, or cumbersome, thus, threatening the debtor with a heavy loss if the latter carried out the contractual commitment and continued with it at times and other situations.

This has made it possible to adapt the pandemic as a force majeure and, in cases where the implementation of the obligation has become impossible, is therefore subject to the provisions of force majeure theory, and is to be treated as an exceptional circumstance or incident, in cases where the implementation of the obligation—due to the pandemic—has become cumbersome and is therefore subject to the provisions of the theory of emergency conditions.

Further, if the contractual obligations are the most affected by the pandemic, then the lease contract was one of the contracts most affected by it.

As the tenant was deprived of the right of utilizing the leased property during the pandemic due to the sovereign decisions which imposed curfew, prevented movement, and banned the professionals, tradesmen, and industrialists from carrying out their activities; consequently, exposing them to substantial material losses against their wills.

The tenant’s commitment in light of the Coronavirus pandemic and the procedures that followed which affected the tenant’s right of utilizing the leased property required an in-depth legal study to clarify the nature and extent of the impact of the tenant’s commitment to pay the rent for the period during which s/he was unable to utilize the leased property.

Has, therefore, this commitment become impossible or cumbersome? Law stipulates specific regulatory provisions for each case