Tenants of two residential blocks in the Al-Nuzha District here were recently taken aback to find electricity in their hallways cut off, their telephone lines left dead, and the buildings' elevators not functioning after the owner of the buildings decided he wanted them to vacate the premises in order to lease them out to pilgrims. The landlord also removed security staff. The tenants, consisting of 40 families, decided to turn to the local governorate after the landlord refused their offer to pay an increase in rent from SR17,000 to SR20,000. The landlord, residents say, rejected their offer and instead demanded they immediately vacate the premises, leaving them struggling to find accommodation due to well-documented housing difficulties and the need to find residences close to their children's schools. “Everyone is using mobile phones so they can find their way down the corridors,” said tenant Ali Jam'an, “and some families have taken their elderly to stay with relatives as they can't get up and down the stairs without the elevators.” The standoff, which started 45 days ago, has forced tenants to carry hundreds of gallons of water and gas cylinders on their shoulders up to their apartments. The residents say that there is no way out of the impasse other than the landlord accepting their offer to pay a higher rent or him giving them time until the end of the school year to find new accommodation.
