Q: I had a warehouse and now its agreement has also expired. 6 months back, the landlord made a case against me in the police and maybe also made a case in the rental department. Now, I need to know what is the punishment for the case made at the police station and the one at the rental department. My cheque amount is AED 60000.

Q: My cousin who had taken flats has a criminal case and case filed at the Rental Dispute Centre. The landlord used his guarantee cheques (empty & signed) to file the criminal case. But the amount is huge and not true because part of that has been paid. Since he is overstaying because of this case, he plans to surrender to police and hopefully pay a fine or a short jail term, as he is not able to pay the landlord the amount. Will the amnesty help his situation in reducing the jail term? Is the case filed with Rental Dispute Centre considered a civil case? What if the case has been forwarded to court with a judgement of a 1-year term, will he serve the term or can just pay a fine? By the way, the amount of 2 cheques was more than 200k for each cheque. What should he do to solve this problem? Would really appreciate your prompt response.

Q: What could be consequences if my rental cheque is returned? Do I have 2-3 months after the date of the cheque to arrange the necessary amount? What is the worst case scenario for me?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, An RDC judgment of Aed100500/- was issued against me in Dubai. They did the evictìon in my absence. I defaulted on rental cheques due to having no salary for a long time I was in India for 3 months to settle my family. The firm is in Dubai. No official information was given to me for any activities at any time. I got all information and judgments unofficially. I am coming back to Dubai on the 2nd of December. The judgment was issued on the 14th of October and the eviction is being processed today as per unofficial information. Would I face any problem at the airport on arrival? Please give me an advice! Thanks and regards,

Q: Dear sir/madam, What is the maximum time within which I can report bounced rental cheques? I waived penalties for my tenant for two bounced cheques and he's now demanding a full refund of his security deposit when he is aware of the damages he did to my apartment and which I had to repair with all receipts.

Q: Hi, I need legal advice. My tenant's cheque has bounced twice. What is the legal process, timeframe, and estimated professional fee to recover the outstanding rental amount?

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

The relationship between tenants and landlords is regulated in Dubai by Law No. 33 of 2008 Concerning the Relationship Between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai. The arising rental disputes are referred to Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (“RDSC”) created by Decree No. 26 of 2013 to reconcile between the parties and reach an amicable settlement or seek a final judgment issued and enforced by the RDSC.

With the introduction of the new procedures for obtaining a power of attorney (POA) remotely in the UAE, after it was mandatory to appear in person in front of the notary public as a global rule to ensure the identity and intention of the person requesting a POA, we put between your hands this brief guide for how you get it done.

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 Law promulgates the Federal Penal Code (Criminal Law) of the United Arab Emirates. Crimes and chastisement punishments shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other penal codes.

The provisions of this Decree by Law amend the Federal Law No. (18) of 1993 by replacing Clause (4) of Article (379) as well as Articles (600), (617), (641), (642), (643), (644), and adding new articles numbered (635) Bis, (641) Bis (1), (641) Bis (2), (641) Bis (3), (641) Bis (4), (643) Bis (1), (643) Bis (2), (644) Bis (1) and (644) Bis (2). The Decree-Law also repeals Articles (401), (402) and (403) of the Federal Law No. (3) of 1987.