Dear All, We have a question related to private rental law in Dubai. We have been living in the same house (rented) for the last four years. During those years, we have had to battle our landlord for maintenance at large. Our contract states that ALL maintenance is on his account (no deductible). We have a lot of small maintenance issues, such as kitchen cabinets that are coming loose, a sewage smell in the house, and a toilet upstairs that still doesn't work after four years (despite attempted maintenance). How can we deal with him and get him to honor the contract and resolve all of our issues so we can use the house properly? What legal steps can we take? We have informed him plenty of times over the four years about the problems, but he seems to "ghost" us and does not reply very often. We have issued him a warning to get things fixed by the end of this month (via WhatsApp), but he doesn't seem to mind. Hope you can help with advice and maybe RERA down the line.

Hello, I have found out that a friend divulged sensitive and private medical information to others without my consent. Is this against the law?

Hello, If the tenant is evicted due to renovation, once the renovation is done, can the landlord rent the property to a new tenant, or does the landlord have to wait for 2 years?

Hello, I have a complaint registered against me. The crime description is "breach of trust by embezzlement." Can I travel outside the UAE? I don't have any travel ban against me.

Hello, Dubai Courts have sent a circular to freeze my assets in a cheque execution case dating back to 2023. An installment plan was in place, but I missed payments. The outstanding amount is AED 26,000. How can I avoid seizure of my salary bank account? Thank you!

Dear Lawyers, Can a partner in an LLC company (Dubai Mainland) sell their shares to a third party without the consent of the other partners? If one partner wants to exit the company and the other shareholders are neither responding to this request nor giving permission, what is the way forward? We have sent an email to the other shareholders notifying them of the intention to sell the shares, but there has been no response. Please advise. Please advise!

Dear Lawyers, How to request my passport back from my employer after many requests have been refused?

Dear All, I currently have an annual rent contract with a hotel apartment in Al Barsha, Dubai. I have a separate Ejari and pay my unit's DEWA bills. My current yearly rent is the same as the rent advertised for new units in the same building. However, my contract renewal is due in three months, and the building management has informed me that a 10% increase in rent will be applied if I wish to renew. According to the RERA rental index calculator for the Al Barsha area, my current annual rent is already higher than the average rent, so no increase in rent is permissible. The building management has stated that they don't fall under the RERA rental index because they're hotel apartments. I wish to verify whether they fall under RERA rent index guidelines or not. Please advise. I am willing to open a rental dispute case and seek legal help, but I need to check if it will be valid. Thank you!

Dear Lawyers, I am from India, and I am an HIV patient undergoing treatment. Recently, I received a job offer in Dubai. Can I go to Dubai with this condition? Is it possible to work in Dubai with this issue? Can you give me suggestions, please?

Dear Lawyers, Is there any way to take action or legal proceedings in cases of online scams? One of my friends was cheated by a lady on a matrimonial website, and he is still seeking to recover his money.

Sir, I was in jail for 2 months in a drugs case, and then my company filed an absconding case against me. Now they are not removing the absconding case and are not ready to give me the settlement money. What do I have to do?

Hello, We have an agreement with a company to supply food for their buffet on a daily basis, with invoices to be issued monthly and payment to be made every three months. The relationship actually lasted for nine months, and payment was made for two periods. In the third period, due to disagreements between our company and the company to which the supply was made, they refused to pay, noting that the outstanding amount so far is fifty-four thousand dirhams. Can we claim the amount, noting that the agreement is not written, but there are emails exchanged between us and invoices?

Hello, How much time does Dubai Court usually take to seize the amount from the bank to release my travel ban?

I’ve lived in my building for over 4 years, with the most recent rent being AED 50,000. Each year, the management collects cheques and extra AED 2,400–2,500 cash (no receipt) for management and Ejari fees. My contract was due for renewal on 15 Feb 2025, but management delayed, demanding a 10% rent increase even though no formal 90-day notice and the RERA index did not allow it. After a month of excuses, the manager called on 12 March, insisted increase to 55K, and threatened eviction if I refused. When I referenced RDC, he hung up. The next day, he again made unprofessional remarks, so I decided to go with RDC. I submitted my offer and deposit on 13th March, but the management didn’t respond. The case went to the judge on 14 April he ruled in my favor. On 30 April, I applied for the execution of the ruling, and RDC says I can renew Ejari only on 8th May at DLD with cheques given to them. However, on 1st May 2025, I received a notarized eviction notice for non-payment of rent and communication. My question is, what will happen at DLD now?

Hello, I'm from the Philippines, working here for 15 years. I have a big problem, and they have repeatedly given me a case of a cheque worth AED 73,000 for almost 9 years. Recently, they filed a case again after knowing that my case was done last October. This cheque is a guarantee cheque only for my 5-year monthly car installments. I paid for almost 2 years and have 3 years left to be paid, but I gave the person who guaranteed my car a cheque worth AED 73,000 at that time. I don't have enough requirements to get the 5-year monthly installment car, so I asked someone to help me, but my biggest mistake is that I don't have any agreement for this cheque because I totally trust him as my family. After delaying payment for 2 months because I went on vacation and came back, he asked me to visit their shop. When I went, they just called me and told me to get his things.