Ownership of fixtures added by tenant
| Fatwa #854 | Category: Business & Trade | Country: Zambia | Date: 31st October 2023 |
| Fatwa #854 | Date: 31st October 2023 |
| Category: Business & Trade | |
| Country: Zambia | |
Question
A.w.w. Mufti Saab, I have a friend that is renting a warehouse. Initially the agreement was that the warehouse contained some machinery for the landlord. My friend had permission to use the warehouse excluding the area where the machinery was. Now the challenge was that when my friend started renting the warehouse, the warehouse didn’t have a power cable. He says it was not there. It was probably stolen before he started renting it. He also needed a power source so with his money he bought cables and equipment to setup a power source. He informed the landlord that there is no cable and he wants to put one.
Now after a few years the landlord ( who is also a relative of my friend the tenant) told my friend to vacate the warehouse in 3 months as they’ve sold the machinery in the warehouse and the person that bought the machinery wants to use the warehouse. Now when he told the landlord that he has to remove the cable, the landlord is saying that he can’t remove the cable because we rented the warehouse to you at a very affordable rate.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, a tenant is permitted to setup items which enhance his usage of the property or provide convenience.[1] A power cable falls under the category of necessities.
Furthermore, the tenant has the right to take the cable with him when he vacates the property. However, he will bear the cost of repairing the site once the cable is removed.[2]
Alternatively, if mutually agreed, the landlord may purchase the cable from the tenant.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad IV Patel
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
المحيط البرهاني في الفقه النعماني (7/ 530) [1]
وإذا بنى المستأجر تنوراً أو كانوناً في الدار المستأجرة فاحترق (40أ4) بعض بيوت الجيران أو احترق بعض الدار لا ضمان عليه فعل بإذن رب الدار أو بغير إذنه؛ لأن هذا الانتفاع بظاهر الدار على وجه لا يغير هيئة الباقي إلى نقصان بخلاف الحفر؛ لأنه تصرف في رقبة الدار وبخلاف البناء؛ لأنه يوجب تغير هيئة الباقي إلى نقصان فإن صنع المستأجر في نصب التنور شيئاً لا يصنعه الناس من ترك الاحتياط في وضعه أو أوقد ناراً لا يوقد مثله في التنور في البيوت كان ضامناً
درر الحكام شرح مجلة الأحكام – ط. العلمية (1/ 515)
تَاسِعًا : لِلْمُسْتَأْجِرِ أَنْ يَبْنِيَ فِي الدَّارِ تَنُّورًا وَإِذَا احْتَرَقَتْ مِنْهُ فَلَا يَلْزَمُ ضَمَانٌ ( اُنْظُرْ الْمَادَّةَ 91 ) وَلَهُ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ فِيهَا مَا بَدَا لَهُ مِنْ الْعَمَلِ كَالْوُضُوءِ وَالِاغْتِسَالِ وَغَسْلِ الثِّيَابِ وَكَسْرِ الْحَطَبِ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ مِنْ تَوَابِعِ السُّكْنَى وَبِهِ تَتِمُّ السُّكْنَى ( الزَّيْلَعِيّ ) إلَّا أَنَّهُ إذَا حَصَلَ الضَّرَرُ بِالدَّارِ لِإِنْشَاءِ التَّنُّورِ قُرْبَ حَائِلٍ خَشَبِيٍّ أَوْ فِي مَحَلٍّ إنْشَاؤُهُ فِيهِ غَيْرُ مُنَاسِبٍ لَزِمَ الضَّمَانُ اُنْظُرْ الْمَادَّةَ ( 602 )
اسْتَأْجَرَ دَارًا وَبَنَى حَائِطًا مِنْ تُرَابِهَا بِلَا أَمْرِ صَاحِبِهَا ثُمَّ أَرَادَ الْخُرُوجَ مِنْهَا وَأَخَذَ الْبِنَاءَ إنْ كَانَ مِنْ لَبِنٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَرْفَعُ الْبِنَاءَ وَيَدْفَعُ قِيمَةَ التُّرَابِ لِصَاحِبِهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ الْجِصِّ لَا يَرْفَعُ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ دَفَعَ عَادَ تُرَابًا وَلَا شَيْءَ لَهُ