Q: Hi Ma'am, An agency that doesn't have a license for doing leasing/ property rental business (I came to know this today) has taken my money for providing me 6 months accommodation in a hotel apartment. They did not provide me with the accommodation and after a lot of efforts, I was able to get my partial money back. But the agency is not refunding my remaining amount and they are not opening their office nor responding to my call (they have blocked my number and don't respond to any new number). Can I file a case in the rental dispute centre and also claim compensation for all the trouble me and my family went through and the expenses incurred? They took AED 2000 cash, a cheque of AED 12500 dated 2nd may (which they used) and another cheque of AED 12500. After the police called them, they returned my 2nd unused cheque and AED 7000 in cash. I have AED 7500 refund pending. Kindly suggest. Thanks, S.

Q: I have rented a hotel apartment from an agency who has a contract with a hotel apartment in the UAE. I hold an annual contract with the agency and I have paid the annual rent in advance. The hotel apartment has issued a check-in form by confirming my stay with this particular hotel apartment for 1 year. The hotel apartment also gave me a letter (family visa purpose) stating that I am one of their guests who is going to stay for 1 year. Now, there is some dispute with the agency and the hotel apartment and the agency are not reachable at all, and the hotel apartment tries to evacuate me. 1) Will the hotel apartment be able to evacuate me by law? 2) The agency still holds one cheque from me, can I stop it?

Q: There are many of private apartments in Dubai advertised as holiday homes for short-term rent. As far as I know, there is a special regulation of such leasing in Dubai, requiring a permission from the government authorities.How can I be sure, that booking of an apartment for a short stay, let's say through Airbnb, is legal? What documents should I ask from the landlord to be on a safe side?

Q: Dear sir/madam, I have just signed a contract to lease a hotel apartment with an agency. They showed me the hotel apartment and when I say I’d like to lease the place, they took me to their office where we signed the contract. The contract was signed by me and the agent; not the hotel itself. They wanted one cheque for the contract which includes a deposit and commission; not in 3 different cheques for deposit/rent/commission. Also, they wanted the cheque to be addressed to the agency. Since I did not have enough money to pay 100% of rent/deposit/commission in one cheque, I asked them that I will give the rent in one cheque the day I move in. However, I gave them a cheque which was 10% of the rent and the agency cashed the amount already. Is there any way I can find out if this agency and contract are legit? I called the hotel to ask them if this agency is their official one, they told me they cannot confirm anything. And I found out that this agency is not registered in RETA. It is only DED licensed.

Q: Dear Sir, I booked a hotel apartment at a hotel via real estate agency called [------]. The agreement is for 6 months with a fee of 42597.60 to be paid as 6 monthly payments of AED 7500 each (which include agency fees). I have booking confirmation from hotel and I have receipt from agency. After 2 months of the contract has passed, the hotel wants to change the fee to AED 9500 per month and they want to collect the payment of the next 4 months in one cheque. As far as I know, this is against law (article 14 of law 26 of 2007 and law 33 of 2008) since the hotel wants to increase the rent without prior notice period (90 days) and during the contract not at the end of it. I need to confirm with you that I am right with what I am saying that they are breaking the law, and know how I can protect myself against them if they insisted. Thank you for your help

Q: Hi, As a landlord, can I rent out my villa in Dubai directly to clients for short-term stays via Booking.com, Airbnb, or directly? Will I need a DTCM certificate or is it not necessary? Can I receive an upfront payment for long stays or are there rules regarding payment plans? Thank you in advance!

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, A landlord looking to increase rent without following the RERA index. What are tenant’s rights? My landlord notified me on time that he would like to increase the rent significantly. He claims that the RERA index is not applicable as it is a Hotel Apartment (the property type on the title deed is indeed “Hotel Apartment”). However, I do have a valid Ejari. Does it mean that the RERA index is applicable? Thank you!

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I'm renting an unfurnished apartment in a building, which is classified as a hotel apartment. I have an Ejari certificate. The owner wants to increase the rent by 50%, from 105,000 AED to 155,000 AED. He says that hotel apartments don't follow RERA rules and policies. He has obtained a rental valuation certificate with a value of 155,000 AED, even though the highest rent in this building is 130,000 AED. He keeps insisting that they can raise the rent as high as they want, without regard to RERA.

An interview-format article covering the topic of filing an employment court case in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

The UAE has adopted a major reform in its legislative system that brought about 40 new laws and amendments to the company law, criminal law, personal status, among others. The amendments aim to develop the legislative structure in various sectors, the labor law being one of these, was the most recent. We try in this article to shed light on the changes introduced with the new labor law and their significance on both, the employer and employee.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.

The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.