Q: I live in Dubai and I want to terminate my tenancy contract after 3 months. I lived here for last 3 years in the same flat. As per the tenancy contract, in case of termination of the contract by the tenant, the tenant has to pay minimum 2 months rent as a penalty. The agent has asked me to pay this penalty but he is not refunding me the full balance amount of rent. He is calculating the balance refund rent on 10% less than the actual rent in tenancy contract. Is this legal as there is no such clause in the contract nor agent has informed me earlier during signing the contract. Please advise what to do.

Q: I have paid three cheques up until the end of November 2017 when it is being demolished. I need to move out into staff accommodation in August when the next cheque is due. The relationship with the landlord company is not great. I have had 4 cheques bounce. 2 - my fault, 2 - theirs. I am being charged 8 thousand for this which I will pay. They have however not kept the swimming pool clean. I have many emails with photos showing the green pool and requests for it to be kept clean. Can I terminate the contract as they are not keeping it clean?

س: لديّ عقد إيجار يمتد إلى سبتمبر 2018، لكنني فقدت وظيفتي. لذا، أنا مضطر إلى إنهاء عقد الإيجار مع إخطار صاحب الشقة قبل ذلك بشهر. لكن صاحب الشقة طلب مني إيجار شهرين بعد تاريخ الإخلاء. برجاء مساعدتي.

Q: Dear Questioner, I signed a rental contract. Two days later, my circumstances changed, requiring me to cancel the contract. This was still 15 days before the move-in date. I had not received the keys, and the flat was not yet ready. Unfortunately, the agent insisted that the first payment be made by direct transfer, not a cheque. Since I canceled, they have emailed to acknowledge the cancellation, but I haven't heard anything since. There is a two-month penalty written into the contract, so I am waiting for the returned cheques and the rest of the rent (minus the two-month penalty) to be returned. Is there a mandatory timeframe for this to be completed? Three weeks have passed since their acknowledgment. Thanks in advance!

Q: The landlord has entered and signed a 1-year tenancy agreement with a tenant on 10.10 with a move-in date 4 weeks later, and on 07.11. collected 4 cheques (3 + 1 security deposit). 1 day before moving in the tenant decided to abruptly cancel and demanded for the cheques not to be deposited. Ejari has not yet been registered as it was planned to be done after the key handover. Is the landlord entitled to deposit the cheques (security cheque + 1 cheque) and demand 2 months' rent as a penalty? The tenancy contract has no explicit early termination clause. What are the rights of the landlord in this case to protect and address the financial inconvenience? Thank you.

Q: After having signed the rental contract and handed the cheques, I communicated to the landlord that I no longer wanted to start the rental. I did so with more than a week's notice before the rental start date. No Ejari has been signed. The landlord is now asking me to pay a 2-month penalty. is this legal?

تخضع العلاقة بين المستأجرين ومالكي العقارات في دبي للقانون رقم 33 لعام 2008 بشأن العلاقة بين مالكي ومستأجري العقارات في إمارة دبي. تتم إحالة منازعات الإيجار الناتجة إلى مركز فض المنازعات الإيجارية ("RDSC") الذي تم إنشاؤه بموجب المرسوم رقم 26 لعام 2013 للتوفيق بين الأطراف والوصول إلى حل ودي أو طلب إصدار حكم نهائي وإنفاذه من خلال مركز فض المنازعات الإيجارية.

مقال في صورة مقابلة يتناول موضوع العقارات السكنية المُباعة بالتجزئة فيما يتعلق بالمسؤولية عن صيانة الممتلكات العقارية وتداعيات التخلُّف عن سداد الإيجار في الإمارات العربية المتحدة. مقتبس من المدونة الصوتية القانونية للمحامية لودميلا يامالوفا، مؤسسة مشروع لوجيكال مع لايلو.

The provisions of this Law apply to real property leased out in the Emirate of Dubai, including vacant and agricultural lands, but excluding hotel establishments and real property provided by natural or legal persons as accommodation to their employees at no charge.

Provisions of this Law supersede articles (2), (3), (4), (9), (13), (14), (15), (25), (26), (29), and (36) of Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai. 

This Decree establishes a specialised judicial system to hear rent disputes and develops the procedure for determination of such disputes through an expeditious and simple process for the purpose of realising social and economic stability for all persons involved with the real property rental and other related sectors.