Do I Have to Pay Zakat on a House?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

My brother and I inherited our parents house after their death.
We plan to sell it as soon as we get a suitable offer for it. It may take some years due to formalities. It is unoccupied as it cannot be rented out.

Do we have to pay zakat on this house every year?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

There is no zakat due on residential properties or otherwise.

Personal possessions and property are not subject to zakat. However, the money which you receive from the sale of property and the like is zakatable, and hence, you would subsequently include those funds with your other assets.

Please also see: Is Your Zakat Due? – A Reader and Resources on Giving Zakat and: Zakat: A Comprehensive SeekersGuidance Reader

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,

[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.