Violation of Riyadh Rent Freeze Law (Hidden Rent Increase)

(1) Regarding your first question, the Law of Lease in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), particularly Article 13 of the Executive Regulations of this Law, sets out the legal requirements concerning rent increase and stipulates that "[…] the landlord may not ask for an increase in rental amount before five years from the date of the first lease, and any agreement otherwise is deemed void". This seems to be inconsistent with your situation as you mentioned that the owner has increased the daily rent by around 29% and this is within the 5 years' timeline as stated in the September 2025 Riyadh Rent Freeze decree. Therefore, your situation may fall within the circumstances identified as a hidden rent increase prohibited under Saudi rental law.

(2) As for your second query, this depends on which you consider in line with the principles of natural justice: the right to be heard and the right to a fair hearing. Filing a complaint before accepting the contract will indeed preserve your rights by evidencing your non-consent to the contested rental conditions, as per Article 18 of the Saudi Procedural Law: "Each party must be given the full opportunity to argue his case without haste".

(3) Regarding your third question, you have not specified it in full detail; however, I infer you may be looking into possible remedies. Article 19 of the Law of Lease in KSA provides statutory remedies that can be pursued in the event of a dispute. In such cases where a legal violation potentially occurred, it is advisable that you preserve all related documents and evidence, and seek advice from a legal representative or legal aid body if necessary to guide you through the complaint process and possible litigation.