Hiring and Renting

Charging the tenant a fixed rent

Q: Is it permissible to include in a lease agreement with a commercial tenant that they will be responsible for the following:

1) Monthly municipal rates which will be billed by the Municipality to the landlord. These charges will be passed on to the tenant.

2) If at any time during the lease agreement there are any increases by the municipality in rates, the tenant will also be liable for such increase.

Sharing a hotel room

Q: A hotel lets out its rooms on a per person charge basis. Zaid books a room for three nights on the basis of one person staying and accordingly only pays for one person. Later, he decides to share the room with his brother, Amr. Zaid claims that he is entitled to the use of any amount of water, lights etc. when he paid for one person, so sharing the use of these facilities with Amr is in actual fact an extension of the benefits that Zaid is entitled to. Is it permissible for Zaid to do this?

Imposing an impermissible fee

Q: Our pathology lab offered our services to a certain hospital. The hospital told our lab that many other labs also offered their services to them. They said that if we want, they will choose our lab and give us all their contracts, on condition that since they are giving us the business, our lab should pay them a stipulated fee as a token of appreciation. Is it permissible for our lab to pay the hospital this stipulated fee?

Hiring out a buffalo for mating

Q: Recently, I started a farming business and alhamdulillah I have bought a few animals. One week ago, I bought a male buffalo for breeding, but someone told me that I can’t earn an income from the buffalo mating. Is it correct that I cannot hire out my buffalo to mate with other people’s buffalos? Can you also tell me how I should look after my animals in an Islamic manner?