Is the practice of paying a deposit to rent shops in a prime location, requesting the rent in advance, and not returning the deposit until after the shop is vacated and a new tenant is found, considered a violation of the pure Sharia?

It is permissible to pay a deposit for renting a place, and there is no objection to it remaining with the owner as a pledge, if mutually agreed upon, provided that the pledge is not utilized except with the permission of the pledger. However, the condition that the deposit will not be refunded unless a new tenant is found is an invalid condition and an injustice to the tenant. It is not permissible to enter into a contract that includes this condition. If a contract is concluded with a void condition, either the sale proceeds and the void condition is invalidated, or the sale is entirely invalidated. Therefore, one should avoid this type of rental.