Monthly Rent in Mecca Without an Upfront Year: How to Pay Rent Monthly

If you are searching for monthly rent in Mecca (Makkah), you are usually looking at one of two things: a furnished apartment booked by the night or the month, or an apartment on an annual lease whose landlord wants the full year's rent upfront when the contract is registered, or in two large payments if they agree. The annual lease is the usual choice for anyone who wants a stable home in Mecca, and there are two ways to pay it monthly: the landlord accepts more payments and they are written into the contract, or you apply through a company that turns the large payment into monthly payments, such as Dlight. If neither works, the fallback is to save the amount before the contract starts.

This guide explains the difference between the two options, how each way of paying monthly works and what it depends on, and which of the new rental rules apply to leases in Mecca and which do not. It is part of our guide to renting without paying a year upfront, which covers the idea across Saudi Arabia; this page focuses on what matters to a tenant in Mecca.

A furnished apartment by the month, or an annual lease paid monthly?

Mecca receives visitors all year round, and furnished apartments booked by the night, the week or the month are widespread. That option is flexible and does not tie you to a year, but the price is set for each period and may change in peak seasons, and some of these apartments are tourist hospitality units booked as a stay rather than rented under a residential lease registered on Ejar. The difference matters for two reasons: the rules explained below, such as automatic renewal, apply to lease contracts, and every monthly arrangement through Dlight requires a residential lease registered on Ejar, so a hospitality booking cannot be part of one.

So if you want a home for a year or more, compare what a furnished apartment would cost you over a full year with the cost of an annual lease on a similar unit, and if you choose the annual lease, make sure what you agree to is a residential lease registered on Ejar. A residential lease can cover a furnished apartment too; what matters is the type of contract, not the furniture.

How rent on an annual lease is usually paid in Mecca

As in most Saudi cities, residential leases in Mecca are usually annual, and the custom is to pay the rent in one payment upfront at registration; some landlords accept two to four large payments. An illustration with hypothetical figures: a lease at 24,000 SAR a year means paying 24,000 SAR when the contract starts, or 12,000 SAR twice a year if the landlord accepts two payments, whereas paying monthly spreads that load across the year.

Whatever the arrangement, the reference is the payment schedule written into the registered contract. Since 15 January 2024, rent on new residential leases has been paid through Ejar's digital channels, such as mada and SADAD, and proof of payment made outside them is not recognised. In practice, a landlord's verbal promise to accept monthly payments changes nothing unless it appears in the payment schedule in the contract. To understand what the platform does and where its role ends, read what the Ejar platform does for tenants.

Three ways to deal with the annual payment in Mecca

1. The landlord accepts more payments. Ask for a larger number of payments to be written into the payment schedule at registration. This may be the cheapest route if the landlord does not raise the rent in return, but it depends entirely on their agreement, and a large upfront payment is the market norm.
2. Apply through Dlight. After your application is approved and the contract is completed, Dlight pays the rent to the landlord and you repay Dlight in monthly payments on an agreed plan. The landlord still has a part to play: one of the questions you will be asked when you apply is whether the landlord agrees to receive the rent in two payments, and a landlord who insists on a single payment may stop the application, so ask them early. The idea is explained in more detail in our guide to installments on annual rent.
3. Save in advance. Put the year's rent aside before the contract date. It adds no cost, but it takes time you may not have if you need a home soon, and it drains your savings in one go. If the amount is beyond you right now, read can't pay a year of rent upfront: what are your options?

Rent installments in Mecca with Dlight: how paying monthly works

Dlight is a Saudi fintech company that helps tenants convert annual rent into monthly payments. You choose the home in Mecca, in whichever district suits you, and agree terms with its landlord; Dlight does not list apartments or search for a home for you. Dlight accepts applications from Mecca and assesses each one individually after reviewing eligibility and verifying the required information. Whether a monthly arrangement can be completed may vary from city to city, so no one can promise you the outcome in advance.

The steps in brief:

1. Choose your home and agree the annual rent, the lease term, the start date and how the rent will be received with the landlord.
2. Apply at dlight.ai/register and answer the application questions, including whether the landlord will receive the rent in two payments.
3. The application goes through an eligibility review and verification, and the decision is not known until the review is complete.
4. After approval, the contract is registered on Ejar in your name, and Dlight pays the rent to the landlord.
5. You repay Dlight in monthly payments on the plan. The payment dates and amounts, including the first payment, which can fall at the start of the contract, are set in the plan shown to you before you complete.

The full cost and the exact monthly amount are shown to you before you complete the application, with no hidden charges afterwards. Some things stay outside Dlight's role: a security deposit, if you agree one with the landlord, is not handled by Dlight, and maintenance and utilities such as electricity, water and internet remain as your contract sets out.

Does the rent freeze cover Mecca?

On 25 September 2025, the Real Estate General Authority (REGA) announced the approval of new provisions governing the relationship between landlords and tenants. The best known are a five-year halt on annual increases to the rent and a fixed rent for vacant units. Those two rules apply to properties within the urban area of Riyadh, and the provisions allow them to be extended to other cities and governorates by a later decision if needed. So do not assume they cover your lease in Mecca, and look at the latest announcements from REGA and the Ejar platform before registering.

Other provisions do apply in every city in the Kingdom, Mecca included:

• Automatic renewal: as a general rule, a lease renews automatically unless one party notifies the other that it does not wish to renew at least 60 days before the lease ends. Where the landlord does not want to renew because they want the property for themselves or a first-degree relative, REGA's decision on standard residential leases sets the landlord's notice at no less than 365 days; confirm on Ejar how it applies to your lease.
• Registering the lease: the landlord must apply to register any unregistered lease on Ejar, the tenant may also apply to register it, and the other party may object to the lease details within 60 days of being notified; if no objection is made in that time, the details are treated as correct.

Before registering: what to agree with the landlord

• The specific unit: its number and address, not a general description such as "an apartment in such-and-such district".
• The annual rent, the lease term and the start date: in writing, because the start date sets your payment dates.
• How the rent will be received: one payment, two or more, and ask the landlord directly whether they accept two payments before you apply.
• The type of contract if the apartment is furnished: a residential lease registered on Ejar, with a list of what the furniture includes.
• The landlord's details and bank account registered on Ejar: because the rent is transferred to that account, and missing or mismatched details can delay registration.
• Deposit, maintenance and utilities: who pays for what, written into the contract rather than agreed verbally.

Your monthly budget in Mecca

Before renting an apartment in Mecca, work out what you can pay each month. Paying monthly eases the pressure on your cash, but it does not make any rent affordable. The number that matters is the total you will pay each month including the cost, not the annual rent divided by 12, and it should leave room for your other commitments and for moving costs, plus furniture if the apartment is unfurnished. To estimate what your income can really support, use our guide how much rent can you afford before you commit to any figure.

If you are comparing Mecca with other cities

If you are thinking of living in nearby Jeddah, or comparing cities before a move, these guides cover the same subject for other cities: renting in Jeddah without paying the full year upfront, monthly rent in Medina and monthly rent in Al-Qassim. Market details differ from one city to another, but the type of contract and the payment schedule in it remain the reference everywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay rent monthly in Mecca instead of a year upfront?

Yes, in two ways: the landlord accepts more payments that are written into the contract's payment schedule, or you apply through Dlight, which pays the rent to the landlord after approval and contract completion while you repay Dlight monthly. With Dlight, your application goes through an eligibility review and verification; applications from Mecca are assessed individually, whether the arrangement can be completed may vary by city, and the application may stop if the landlord insists on receiving the rent in a single payment.

Is a furnished apartment rented by the month in Mecca treated as a lease?

Not always. Some furnished apartments are hospitality units booked as a stay by the night or the month rather than rented under a residential lease registered on Ejar, so lease rules such as automatic renewal do not apply to them, and they cannot be converted into monthly payments with Dlight. If you want a stable home, ask for a residential lease registered on Ejar, whether the home is furnished or not.

Does the five-year rent freeze cover Mecca?

According to the provisions announced on 25 September 2025, no: the halt on annual increases applies to Riyadh's urban area, although the provisions allow it to be extended to other cities by a later decision, so look at REGA's latest announcements before registering. Automatic renewal unless one party gives notice at least 60 days before the lease ends applies, as a general rule, in Mecca as it does across the Kingdom.

Quick answers

How much does paying monthly with Dlight cost in Mecca?

The full cost and the exact monthly amount are shown to you before you complete the application, with no hidden charges afterwards, so you know what you will pay before you commit.

How do I start if I am renting in Mecca?

Agree the rent and how it will be received with the landlord, then apply at dlight.ai/register. After review, approval and completion of the contract on Ejar, Dlight pays the rent to the landlord and you repay Dlight monthly on the plan; applications from Mecca are assessed individually.

When do the monthly payments start?

Payment dates are set in the plan shown to you before you complete, and the first payment can fall at the start of the contract.