Practical guide

My Bahrain lease started, but the apartment is unfinished and EWA cut the power. Can I cancel and recover rent?

By Gaurav Agarwal · Updated 14 October 2026

Possibly, but not automatically: Article 513 lets you ask for rescission or a proportionate rent reduction when the home was unfit at delivery. First send the landlord a registered notice with acknowledgement of receipt. Keep paying rent unless a written agreement or Committee decision says otherwise. Confirm the current case type and filing fee before submitting (not confirmed as of 14 October 2026).

First legal stepRegistered notice to the landlord

Filing prerequisiteRegistered lease

Safety contactEWA Customer Care Centre: +973 1751 5555

EWA closureNo fee, 1 working day

Open Bahrain Courts and Cases Services

Jump to a step

Choose your route
Legal position
Safety first
Notify landlord
Build evidence
File the dispute
Close EWA account
Official gaps
FAQs
Official sources

01Which situation are you in?

Start by separating an unfinished handover from a normal repair request. The law focuses on whether the rented property can provide the use agreed in the lease.

Match the evidence you have to the next formal step.
What you can prove	What the official rule supports	Next step
The apartment was unfinished or unusable on the handover date	A tenant may seek rescission or a proportionate rent reduction when the property is unfit at delivery.	Send a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt asking the landlord to cure the defects, then request rescission or rent reduction if the issue is not resolved.
EWA disconnected power for unauthorized work or a safety violation	EWA may disconnect service for unauthorized extensions or safety violations.	Keep EWA's notice and ask the landlord for the approved rectification record.
Damaged wiring creates a serious safety concern	EWA says damaged wiring should be changed, and the Civil Code addresses serious health risk.	Do not energize or alter the wiring yourself. Contact EWA and the landlord.
The landlord agrees to cancel and refund	The official sources do not prescribe a standard settlement form.	Record the amount, payment date, key return and EWA-account responsibility in writing.
The landlord refuses	The Rental Disputes Committee handles lease-contract disputes.	Check that the lease is registered, then prepare the Committee claim file.

02What Bahrain's Civil Code says about an unready home

The landlord must deliver the rented property and its accessories in a condition fit for the intended use agreed in the lease. If it is unfit at delivery, or the usable benefit is substantially reduced, the tenant may ask for rescission or a rent reduction proportionate to that loss. Compensation may also be available when justified.

A serious risk to the health of the tenant or people living or working with the tenant can support a rescission request. That rule matters when the evidence shows an electrical safety problem, but the tenant still needs to prove the condition and use the proper legal route.

The landlord must perform necessary repairs during the lease unless the agreement validly places a particular obligation elsewhere. Read the repair, fit-out, handover, utilities and early-termination clauses together before stating what the landlord promised.

03Treat the EWA wiring issue as separate safety evidence

An EWA disconnection does not by itself cancel the lease. It can, however, be important evidence about whether the home was usable and safe on the promised handover date. EWA's terms allow disconnection for unauthorized extensions or safety violations.

EWA tells households to replace damaged or worn wiring and says the earthing and protection system disconnects current when an electrical fault occurs. It also says electrical extensions or connections should use an EWA-approved contractor.

Ask EWA for the reference number, reason for disconnection and the required rectification. Ask the landlord for the contractor report and reconnection evidence. Do not bypass the disconnection or arrange unapproved electrical work.

Contact EWA Customer Care Centre on +973 1751 5555.
Photograph unfinished work without touching exposed electrical parts.
Save the EWA notice, messages, inspection notes and the exact disconnection reason.
Ask whether a certified contractor inspection or another EWA step is required. EWA's terms say the customer must ensure regular inspection of wiring, connections and grounding by a certified electrical contractor.

04Send a written notice before escalating

For an apartment that was unfit at delivery, the Property Rent Law requires notice to the landlord by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt before you ask the Committee for rent reduction or rescission. State the handover date, incomplete items, EWA action, requested repair and a reasonable deadline. Keep the receipt and delivery record.

After notice and failure to carry out required repairs, the Civil Code allows the tenant to seek judicial permission to perform the repairs and deduct the cost. That remedy does not remove the right to request rescission or rent reduction. Do not deduct costs or stop rent solely on your own interpretation of the lease.

05Prepare the file for a refund or rent-reduction claim

A request for rescission is different from proving how much money should be returned. Build a simple timeline that connects the lease start, payment, failed handover, EWA action, notice and the landlord's response.

List advance rent, deposit and any separate charges individually. Do not call every payment refundable. The lease terms, the period of actual use, established liabilities and the decision or settlement will affect the amount.

Lease and registered contract details, including the agreed start and handover dates.
Bank transfers, receipts and a schedule of rent and deposit paid.
Dated photos or videos of unfinished rooms and fixtures.
EWA notice, case reference and any contractor or inspection document.
All written notices and the landlord's replies.
Proof of alternative accommodation or other loss, if you intend to claim compensation.

Keep each claim tied to a document.
Claim	Useful evidence	Avoid
The apartment was not ready	Dated handover photos, snag list and messages	Relying only on a phone conversation
Electricity was unsafe or disconnected	EWA reference and exact reason	Guessing why EWA acted
Rent should be reduced	Dates the home was unusable and payment records	Choosing an amount without showing the period
The lease should end	Notice, refusal or failed repair record	Simply abandoning the property without documenting handover

06Prepare a Rental Disputes Committee claim if agreement fails

The Property Rent Law gives the Rental Disputes Committee authority over claims under that law. The Committee will not accept a dispute arising from an unregistered lease. Court-fee rules and schedules apply, so the fee depends on the claim and must be confirmed before payment.

The National Portal links to Court Cases Services for civil cases, but that section is currently available only in Arabic. The public English page does not identify a dedicated unsafe-handover case type. Confirm the correct case category and calculated fee with the Ministry of Justice or a Bahrain lawyer before submitting.

Confirm that the lease and any amendment are registered. The Property Rent Law requires registration and blocks Committee claims arising from an unregistered lease.
Keep the registered-letter receipt and acknowledgement showing that you asked the landlord to cure the defects.
Prepare the registered lease, ID, landlord details, payment records, EWA reference, defect evidence, notice and the exact remedy you request.
Open Court Cases Services, sign in, and use the Arabic civil-case area. Stop before submission if you cannot confirm that the selected case type goes to the Rental Disputes Committee.
Review the calculated court fee before payment. The law says court-fee rules apply, but the public English page does not publish one fixed fee for this claim.
Continue paying rent on time unless the landlord signs a written agreement or the Committee decides otherwise.

07End the electricity account only after the lease actually ends

An EWA disconnection for a wiring fault does not close your customer account or prove that the lease has ended. Once you have a signed termination, settlement or Committee decision and have moved out, use EWA Close Account Service to terminate water and electricity services.

Pay any outstanding balance first. The service lists no fee and a process time of one working day. If you dispute EWA handling or need a correction to the account, use EWA official complaint channels before treating the account as closed.

Record the final meter readings, key handover and agreed end date.
Sign in with eKey, choose Electricity and Water Authority, open electricity and water services, and request service disconnection.
Save the application reference and closure confirmation with the rental settlement or case file.

08What the official pages don't say

The official pages do not set one repair deadline for every wiring fault, automatically cancel a lease after an EWA disconnection, or promise a full refund. They also do not publish one fixed Committee filing fee or an English unsafe-handover case type.

Use the official rules to frame a precise request: what was promised, what was unusable, what EWA recorded, what notice you gave, and whether you seek repair, rent reduction, rescission, refund or compensation.

09FAQs

Can I stop paying rent immediately?

Keep paying rent on time unless the landlord signs a written agreement or the Committee decides otherwise. The Property Rent Law says rent remains payable while the dispute continues.

Does an EWA disconnection automatically cancel my lease?

No official source says it does. Keep the EWA reason as evidence. EWA may disconnect for unauthorized extensions or safety violations, while lease cancellation is a separate remedy to request.

Can I recover rent already paid?

You may request rescission or a proportionate rent reduction, and compensation where justified. The actual amount depends on the lease, evidence, settlement or decision.

Who must fix unsafe wiring?

The Civil Code places necessary repairs on the landlord unless agreed otherwise. EWA says wiring should be inspected by a certified contractor and damaged wiring changed.

Should I hire an electrician myself?

Do not alter unsafe wiring casually. EWA says to use approved contractors. For repairs legally owed by the landlord, the Civil Code describes notice and, in some cases, judicial permission before repair and deduction.

Where do I take a rental dispute?

The Rental Disputes Committee decides disputes under the Property Rent Law. Confirm that the lease is registered and keep the registered-letter evidence. The National Portal lists Court Cases Services for civil cases (Arabic only), but the official pages do not state that Committee claims are filed there, so confirm the filing channel with the Ministry of Justice before submitting.

What should I do with the EWA account after cancellation?

After the lease actually ends and you move out, settle any outstanding balance and request EWA service disconnection. The Close Account Service lists no fee and one working day.

10Official sources

Official details checked 14 October 2026.