Q: Dear lawyers, I would like to ask you for an advice on my situation with the tenant. At the time of signing the contract we agreed to 3 cheques payment, but started defaulting. Now he is paying monthly.How can I change this situation? Can I also increase the rent in this circumstances? Or ask the tenant to vacate the property without one year notice? Thanks and regards.

Q: (If) I took a picture of my tenant's living room and posted it on a property website to rent the property, as we've agreed with the tenant that he vacates the property at the end of the year. Then he found out about the advertisement on the property website in the remaining 3 months before the end of the contract (we have posted the advertisement with the picture of the living room) and informed me to remove it from the website. I removed it immediately, but he has printed out the advertisement with his living room pictures.Now he is saying that if I made any issues to him as a tenant or deny his demands or do not renew his contract or increase the rent he will file a case in the police for the privacy breach. Please note that this was not intentional and it was a mistake without knowing the laws about these things.Q: How long does a person have the time to file for a privacy breach until it's considered invalid or it's long overdue or something similar? Kindly advice. Thank you.

Q: I am staying in the apartment since 2 years. My tenancy contract expires on 15th of June. I informed the landlord via email 1 month in advance, that I don't wish to continue the contract and will leave the flat. The landlord is now saying that we should have informed him 60 days in advance and is demanding for an extra 30 days rent. Is this a valid claim? Do I need to pay extra post my tenancy contract getting over? Kindly advise.

س: السلام عليكم، استأجرت سكن لمدة سنة وطلبت من المالك عدم التجديد وعمل براءة ذمة وسكنت في مكان آخر بعد أربعة أشهر. بعد سنتين أوقفتني شرطة المطار وأنا قادم من بلدي وأبلغتني أني مطلوب لدفع مبلغ إيجار سنتين لمالك السكن مع أنني لم أسكن به هذه المدة. توجهت إلي بلدية الشارقة وطبعت أوراق القضية ولا أعلم ماذا أفعل؟ مع العلم أن المالك لم يُخطرني أبدًا وهناك مَن كان يسكن من طرف المالك، فماذا أفعل؟ كلمت المالك فقال لي بالحرف: "ادفع وبعد ذلك ساومني وحبة عليك وحبة عليّ"؛ أي نصف المبلغ (٢٠ ألف درهم) بدون وجه حق وأنا أسكن مع أولادي في مكان آخر في هذه الفترة ولدي شهود.

س: مرحبًا، لدي شقة في دبي رمرام مؤجَّرة. أنذرت المستأجر عبر الإيميل والرسائل النصية والواتس قبل نهاية العقد بثلاثة أشهر أنني لا أرغب في تجديد العقد معه لسنة جديدة. هل هذا الإجراء صحيح؟ وماذا يترتب على رفض المستأجر إخلاء الشقة عند نهاية العقد؟

Q: Dear sir/madam, If a landlord is having an issue with the court on our leased property, how will it affect us as a tenant? Our team is staying inside and a lot of our machines and client properties are inside the factory. Does the court give sufficient time to vacate the premises?

س: السلام عليكم، أرسل صاحب المنزل إنذارًا بالإخلاء لغرض الاستخدام الشخصي بعد مرور 4 أشهر من تاريخ تجديد عقد الإيجار السنوي. بعد 8 أشهر انتهى العقد الحالي ورفض التجديد بحجة وجود إنذار بالإخلاء بالرغم من عدم مرور 12 شهرًا من تاريخ الإنذار. ما التصرف القانوني الذي يجب أن أتبعه في هذه الحالة؟

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have a question about rental renewal and would appreciate your response. The landlord did not give us any notice of rent increase or renewal before the 90-day expiration of the contract. However, I gave the landlord written intent-to-renew notice by email before 60 days of the rental expiration. They explained on the phone that they would like to renovate the villa and therefore will not be renewing the rental contract. Can you please confirm what is the minimum notice period that the landlord needs to provide for eviction if they want to renovate the villa? And can they refuse to renew the contract even though they did not serve the notice 90 days before the expiration of the contract?

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.

An interview-format article covering the topic of residential retail properties pertaining to the liability for property maintenance and the repercussions of defaulting on rent payments in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

In Dubai, property owners often seek to enhance their investments through renovations. However, evicting tenants to facilitate these renovations involves specific legal requirements and considerations. Understanding these regulations is crucial for landlords looking to avoid potential disputes and ensure compliance with Dubai’s rental laws.

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 determines the maximum percentage of rent increase for real property in the Emirate of Dubai when renewing lease contracts.