Hello Folks

Hope you are well and keeping safe

I have a bit of a dilemma:
My current aprt lease expires end of this month.
3 months ago, via email, me and my LL came to an agreement on the lease renewal ie we agreed on a price.
Beginning of Sept i emailed him saying i wouldn't be able to issue a cheque since everyone is working from home (my company issues my lease payment). And that i would arrange an online bank transfer instead. I asked him to draw up the contract and for him to sign it and email a copy to me. I would countersign once he had received the money. He point blank refused to do this, which in all honesty just p*ssed me off. He said he would only sign the contract once he received the payment.
According to my GM making a payment constitutes a contract in itself and so i guess if he wants to sign the contract after receiving payment it should be fine?
I replied to him saying i thought he was being difficult and what i had proposed was fair and reasonable. However if he wanted to sign the contract after receiving payment, then fair enough.
I've asked him to draw up the contract (unsigned) and to email me a copy before i make payment. I haven't heard from him since and i am due to make the online bank payment next week.
Does anyone if i decide NOT to renew the contract what repercussions/penalties can he impose on me, if any - given that via email we have an agreement?
Any advice/input you can provide would be much appreciated.
Many thanks.

Wouldn't it be a contract after you have spoken (verbal contract). So technically it doesnt matter if you sign/send money first especially if you have email from him confirming the transaction (however this is the middle east so normal rules dont apply).

Couldnt you get your bank to issue a cheque ?

Or perhaps see this as an opportune moment to look for another apartment ?

We have't actually spoken, it's all been communicated via email.
I actually don't want to renew the contract and hence why i was asking what penalties, if any, would i be liable for, given we had agreed that i would renew the contract for xxx amount of money.