The Islamic Personality by Sheikh Taqīuddīn An-Nabahānī

Whoever rents immovable property for residence, then he himself can reside therein and he can accommodate anyone else he wants therein if he stands in his place because he can execute that which is contracted over by himself or his representative. Whoever resides therein is his representative in executing what was contracted upon so it is permitted just as if he delegated an attorney in taking possession of the sold thing. He can build in the house of what is the custom of the resident of flooring, furniture, goods etc. Except that the tenant cannot accommodate in the house which he rented because of which wear and tear could be greater than his own wear and tear upon the house. So he should not accommodate therein one who would damage the house such as washers or blacksmiths if the tenant is not a washer or blacksmith because that is harmful to it, which is more harmful than the benefit upon which contract occur over. The contract occurred upon the benefit which is well known or this house even if by mutual acquaintance, so it is not permitted for him to take a benefit greater than the benefit over which the rent contract occurred.

It is not required in renting the house for accommodation to explicitly state the residence. Rather it is permitted to make the contract unrestricted without being necessary to mention the residence nor its description because the house is not rented except for accommodation so there is no need to mention it. And because the difference in accommodation is small so it does not to be recorded. So he can rent the house to another for the period of his (own) renting. If the renting occurs upon each month for a known thing, it is not for either of them to invalidate (it) except after the passing of each month. Except that the first month requires the rent therein due to the unrestricted nature of the contract because it is known to follow the contract and for it is a known wage. Whichever month is after it is required by the contract by becoming involved therein i.e. residence in the house. Once it becomes involved therein, the entry therein is determined so it is valid in the first contract. If it is not involved in or the contract is annulled at the end of the first month, then it is annulled. Whenever involvement is left in a month, then the renting is not established therein due to the absence of the contract. And if he said, ‘I rented to you my house for twenty months for so much for each month’ it is permitted because the period is known and its wage is known. It is not allowed for either of them to annul the contract in any situation because it is one period. If he rents a house for the period of a year then it appeared to him to annul it before the passing of the year, full rent is obliged upon him. If someone rents his house, it is upon the landlord to complete what would facilitate the benefit for the tenant like delivering the keys to the house, paving the bathroom, the fixing of the doors, running of water and all that is required to make good or facilitating the benefiting from the house. As for what is fulfilling the benefits like delivering the movables, rope, bucket, electricity meter, water meter, this is upon the tenant. As for what is obliged in beautifying and adornment, they are not obliged on either of them because benefiting is possible without them. As for whitening the house, bleaching the sink and the bathroom, if it requires this at the time of renting then it is upon the landlord since this is among what facilitates the benefiting. And if it is filled by the tenant’s action, then it is upon him to empty it. As for transporting the garbage, then it is upon the tenant. If the landlord stipulates upon the tenant in the rent contract to pay the expenses of what the Shar’a obliged upon him of what facilitates benefiting, the condition is invalid for contradicting the requirement of the contract. Similarly if the tenant were to stipulate upon the landlord to pay the expenses obliged upon the tenant, the condition is invalid for contradicting the contract’s requirement. If the landlord and tenant die, or either of them, the hiring remains in its situation because hiring is an obligatory contract which is not annulled by death during the well-being of that which is contracted upon