Q: We have still 7 months left on our tenancy contract but the property has too many issues and in one room the ceiling has fallen down due to leaks. Is there any way we can break the contract and receive the rent for remaining months and our security deposit back? Thanks for the advice.

Q: I live in a 4 bedroom apartment in Deira/Dubai. 3 out of the 4 bedrooms have sewage leakage problem somewhere in the ceiling and the smell is horrible. The landlord refuses to fix the problem even though my tenancy contract clearly states that he must fix on his expense. To make the story short, After filing for a case against him at the RDC, It all went down to the police station where he refused to sign a paper that states his willingness to fix. Next, a Dubai Municipality official visited the apartment and submitted a report to the Land Department confirming that the apartment smells very bad. All meanwhile I refused to pay any rent to pressure this landlord to fix. So now 4 months have passed and the accumulated rent has built up to above AED 100,000. The landlord has filed a case to claim the rental amount. What to do? And how can he file a case against me at the RDC without the RDC asking him to fix the apartment first?! Can I refuse to pay this landlord? I think it is unfair to pay!

Q: Hello. I hope I can get some good insight from you. I have tried to reason with my landlord to allow me to break my tenancy contract early. He refused. Now what legal action can I take, and can I refuse to pay the full amount as too many shortfalls in the building? It is very dirty, never cleaning, the gym is so dirty one may get a disease, faulty equipment, very bad maintenance, a pool no one can access... so many. What can I do about it? Can I refuse to pay the whole amount? Who can I complain to? I need some info to know what to do. Thank you.

Q: I signed my tenancy contract on Thursday. I went and did the snagging afterwards and I found out that there is fungus in the fridge. The bathroom roof is broken (as in it can fall on my head), the a/c ducts are full of dust which are hazardous and lots of more comments. I didn't move in nor did I connect DEWA. Can I terminate the contract?

Q: I have rented a flat in Dubai through a private real estate company since 2016. I have Ejari Tenancy Contract Registration Certificate which mentions that the flat size is around 800 square feet, but in fact, it is around 400 square feet. Can I have the right to take any action against the real estate company?

Q: Hello I have a tenancy contract with a small real estate company in RAK. I have a problem with the water supply for 2 months and I have a nonsecure neighbourhood with a lot of Africans without work and I don't feel safe there. I found new accommodation and I want to move out but the agent is telling me I need to pay for one extra month. Please advise me, is it mandatory to pay an extra month or the agent is just trying to make some cash for himself? It remains 3 months until my contract will expire, but I want to move in the end of this month. Thanks

س: السلام عليكم، هل يجوز فسخ عقد الإيجار وعدم دفع غرامة الفسخ قبل انتهاء مدة العقد في الشارقة لعدم التزام المالك ببند الصيانة المذكور في العقد؟

Q: Hello, I signed a tenancy contract to move into a new townhouse on November 17, 2023. The addendum stated that the house would be move-in ready with a deep cleaning and pest control before our move-in date. However, when we visited the property yesterday, none of the maintenance had been completed, and several issues were flagged, such as missing keys, incomplete bathroom hooks, a missing drain cover, and a missing outdoor faucet. It is clear that the property will not be move-in ready by February 17. We talked to the realtor to postpone the move-in date and return the old cheques so that we could write new ones. Unfortunately, the landlord had already deposited 2/3 of the cheques into the bank. Since there is a potential breach of the contract due to the property not being move-in ready by February 17, what are our rights? Can we cancel the contract? Can the cheques bounce so that the landlord does not receive the money? If the cheques bounce, will we be penalized?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, We rented a property from a property management company on April 25th and started staying there from that date. We paid the initial rent and deposit as mentioned by the bank. However, there are many maintenance issues in the flat that they have not fixed even after we complained continuously. We are suffering a lot due to this. I want to know if we can file a case on this, as the conditions of the government contract agreement have not been met.

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 establishes a specialised judicial system to hear rent disputes and develops the procedure for determination of such disputes through an expeditious and simple process for the purpose of realising social and economic stability for all persons involved with the real property rental and other related sectors.

The provisions of this law On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions (Law of Evidence) govern evidence in civil and commercial disputes in the UAE.