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!

I recently purchased a rented apartment in Abu Dhabi and agreed to honor the existing lease. After the transfer, I discovered that the lease is not a Tawtheeq contract, meaning it is not officially registered. Since I am not receiving rent (as it was a non-refundable arrangement with the seller), I prefer not to issue a new Tawtheeq. I also want to avoid a formal notice to vacate to prevent disputes, as I plan to move in. However, I have already informed the tenant that I will not be renewing the lease. I need legal advice on the implications of proceeding without a Tawtheeq contract. What are my risks, especially if the tenant refuses to move out? What legal actions, if any, can the tenant take in this situation?

My brother has been working for a company for 11 years. In the last 3 weeks, he had an incident/accident and scratched a plane since he only had 1 person to assist him as the company was not hiring enough people. Senior staff like him are working more to train inexperienced new hires which adds to their workload working almost 12 hours/day including travel to DWC. The pilot said it was aesthetic and could be painted over but a police investigation ensued. Last week 3 managers and HR talked him down as the investigation concluded. He was terminated immediately with only this month's pay and his 11-year gratuity will not be given by the company. It was not gross negligence or malicious intent, he just didn’t have enough people to help him. He owned up to the mistake and reported the incident within 24 hours. Can he fight for the gratuity?

A person currently under a deportation order wishes to appoint a trusted person with Power of Attorney (POA) to manage their financial and legal matters, including access to their bank account and other obligations. What is the process for obtaining and registering a POA in this situation? Can it be done while they are still in custody, and what steps should they follow to ensure? Please help.

Dear Sir/Madam, The Dubai Court has frozen my bank account because I was late on an alimony payment. The money was automatically deducted from my salary this month. Will the court automatically unfreeze the account once this is done, or will I need to petition the court to issue an order to unfreeze it?

What is the process of renewing the visa while a criminal case is still ongoing? I got first instance court judgment in my favor and was declared innocent, however, the prosecution filed the appeal. My residence visa is due for renewal next week. Can I process my renewal or it is blocked till the time this case is over?

Hello, My lawyer has charged me more than the actual amount for registering my labour case. What should I do?

Hello, My RDC case says "enquire about shares and bonds," which I assume means freezing my bank accounts. How can I approach this and request them for an instalment or initial payment?

Hello, My husband is in jail and the case is still under investigation, but the complainant wants to settle and withdraw the case. Is it possible for my husband to get out of jail on the same day the case is withdrawn?

Hello, Can my landlord evict me if he is selling the property to someone else? I am currently running a restaurant from the location.

Hello, Please, I need help. I had a case where someone sent money to my account. I was selling USDT, but another person used me, scammed the person, and sent money to my account. I sent the USDT. I didn't know the person who sent the money to my account, so I gave him the USDT. Later, I was arrested for scam and using cryptocurrency without a license. The judgment came out: to pay 900 AED, 1 month imprisonment, and deportation. Please, can I appeal not to be deported?

Hello, What can I do if I was absent from the hearing because of improper information and they gave judgment in my absence?

I am working in the private sector, and currently I am in the probation period. I got a government job, so I submitted a one-month resignation notice. My current company rejected my one-month notice and ordered me to serve a three-month notice (as per the contract). I enquired with One Time Centre, and as per their advice, after one month, I can stop work and register a complaint against my company. For this matter, how will the UAE law help me to solve it?

Hello, The company has a policy allowing employees to work from home once per week. Now, employees are asking if overtime is applicable for those who work from home as well. Could you please clarify? Thank you!

Hello, Is it allowed for a company to terminate an employee because the employee refused to do work not stated in the contract?

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, This is regarding an enquiry about a case where we were acquitted by the first instance court, that is, the trial court. The prosecution appealed the judgment, and we also received an acquittal verdict from the misdemeanour appeal court. I know there are still 30 days, but what are the chances it can be appealed to the Court of Cassation?

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, My RDC case says "enquire about shares and bonds," which I assume means freezing my bank accounts. How can I approach this and request them for an instalment or initial payment?

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?