Q: I have served my tenant a legal notice and won the cases in the first instance and appeal in Dubai's RDC court. I requested enforcement and the tenant has requested reconsideration just 3 days before the eviction date. The judge accepted to give the tenant an additional one more month to vacate, exactly on the eviction day. I am afraid that this is not the end of the process as the tenant is paying very low rent and wants to stay in the property as long as possible by making the process as long as possible. The question is how can I stop him to do so?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My tenancy contract is due for renewal on 30 November 2023. On 4 November 2023, my landlord inquired if we would agree to an increase in rent. We declined as it is our first year contract and he was exceeding the RERA index. He has now agreed to maintain the current rent. My question is that the terms of the tenancy contract specify three cheques, but he is now requesting only one cheque. Where do we stand as I cannot issue a single cheque for the full amount? We do not want the terms of the contract to be altered, and he has again failed to inform us in writing, only sending a WhatsApp message stating "Provide me with a cheque, and I will create a new contract." Please advise me! Thank you!

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have issued a tenant renewal notice with the same rent as the tenant is not eligible for a rent increase. However, the tenant is requesting to modify the payment terms from 4 cheques to 6 cheques. In this scenario, can I increase the rent since the tenant is altering the original payment terms of the contract?

Q: Hi, I received a notification from Dubai courts regarding non-payment of rent on 26/01/2024. It stated that all pending rent must be paid, and the property must be vacated within 30 days. All rent has now been paid up until the tenancy contract end date on 04/03/2025. Do I still need to vacate the property? The landlord is suggesting I renew the contract but is requesting a 25% increase in the annual rent. Can anyone advise if my only option is to vacate the premises or agree to the 25% increase? Thank you!

Q: Hi there, My lease is up for renewal and I have agreed to the 10% increase, however, my landlord now wants to change payment terms from monthly payments which I have been doing for the past 3 years, into 1 cheque upfront which I can not afford or able to do. Does the landlord have a right to do this or can I refuse the terms but accept the increase of 10%? Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Q: Dear Lawyers, I am seeking advice regarding a situation with my tenancy contract renewal, and I believe it may require your assistance. My current rental contract is about to expire, and I informed the agent responsible for my contract three months ago that I intend to renew. At that time, the agent did not mention any rent increase. However, with only 15 days left to renew, the agent has now requested a 10% rent increase. I did not agree to this, but in good faith, I proposed a 3% increase, which aligns better with my family’s budget. The agent accepted my proposal but has now added new clauses to the contract, which were not discussed earlier. I do not want to accept these changes. I would like to understand if these last-minute changes are compliant with tenancy regulations and what steps I should take to proceed.

Q: Dear all, I have a question regarding my rental contract. There is an additional term stating: "The tenant agrees that the rent will increase after 2 years by 10% or as per the RERA rules and regulations." Is this legal? Does it mean the landlord does not have to give us a 90-day notice after 2 years if they want to increase the rent?

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 determines the maximum percentage of rent increase for real property in the Emirate of Dubai when renewing lease contracts.