Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (30/308)

He was also asked:

A man leased a village, and its land was inundated because a river burst its banks and they were unable to contain the water. Is their rent reduced in proportion to the land flooded, or not? If a judge rules that he must pay the rent in full, should that ruling be enforced, or not?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. He may terminate the lease, and he may have the rent reduced in proportion to the loss of use. Whoever rules that the contract remains binding and that the rent must be paid in full has ruled contrary to scholarly consensus, and his ruling must not be enforced.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was also asked:

If a house becomes partly unusable, is the rent reduced accordingly?

He replied:

Yes, his rent is reduced in proportion to the loss of the use to which the contract entitles him.

وَسُئِلَ: عَنْ رَجُلٍ اسْتَأْجَرَ قَرْيَةً وَغَلَبَ عَلَى أَرْضِهَا الْمَاءُ بِسَبَبِ أَنَّهُ انْكَسَرَ عَلَيْهِ نَهْرٌ وَعَجَزُوا عَنْ رَدِّهِ. فَهَلْ يَسْقُطُ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ الْأُجْرَةِ بِقَدْرِ مَا غَرِقَ؟ أَمْ لَا؟ وَإِذَا حَكَمَ عَلَيْهِ حَاكِمٌ بِلُزُومِ جَمِيعِ الْأُجْرَةِ فَهَلْ يُنَفِّذُ حُكْمَهُ؟ أَمْ لَا؟ فَأَجَابَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، لَهُ أَنْ يَفْسَخَ الْإِجَارَةَ وَلَهُ أَنْ يَحُطَّ مِنْ الْأُجْرَةِ بِقَدْرِ مَا نَقَصَ مِنْ الْمَنْفَعَةِ وَمَنْ حَكَمَ بِلُزُومِ الْعَقْدِ وَجَمِيعِ الْأُجْرَةِ فَقَدْ حَكَمَ بِخِلَافِ الْإِجْمَاعِ وَلَا يُنَفَّذُ حُكْمُهُ. وَسُئِلَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: إذَا تَعَطَّلَ بَعْضُ مَنَافِعِ الدَّارِ. فَهَلْ يَسْقُطُ مِنْ الْأُجْرَةِ بِقَدْرِ ذَلِكَ؟ فَأَجَابَ: نَعَمْ يَسْقُطُ عَنْهُ مِنْ الْأُجْرَةِ بِقَدْرِ مَا تَعَطَّلَ مِنْ الْمَنْفَعَةِ الْمُسْتَحَقَّةِ بِالْعَقْدِ.