### Supreme Court Rules On Property Inheritance and Tenants’ Obligations in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court has issued a landmark ruling that legal heirs of deceased property owners automatically inherit the property upon their death, entitling them to collect rent from current tenants without requiring new lease agreements. This decision was upheld by a two-judge panel consisting of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Shakeel Ahmed.
In a case where the son of a deceased landlord served legal notices demanding overdue rent payments from tenants who had been paying in the name of the now-deceased owner, the court issued an immediate order for the vacating of commercial properties within sixty days. The judges found that merely depositing rent into the deceased’s account did not constitute valid payment and deemed it necessary to clarify the legal framework.
During the hearing of the appeal against the Sindh High Court’s ruling, the apex court emphasized that tenants who defaulted on rent payments would be held responsible for their eviction upon taking over ownership by the heirs. The Supreme Court’s judgment clarified that once a legal heir assumes property ownership, they have the right to collect rent from current tenants.
This decision underscores the automatic succession of rights and responsibilities in real estate transactions following the death of a property owner, providing clarity on the financial obligations between tenants and new owners.