Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
9 available 9 • View allIs the landlord allowed to increase rent by 20% despite the rent freeze law?

1
Q: Hi,
My landlord is going to increase the apartment rent from the next renewal. They are increasing by almost 20%.
Is the 'three-year rent freeze' in Dubai for residential buildings applicable for this case?


Nov 2, 2021
1541
Increasing the rent without referring to RERA rent calculator
3
Q: Dear sir/madam,
My current rent is 140k for 3 BHK. Now is the time for the first renewal.
My landlord has increased rent to 170k, whereas as per the RERA rent calculator, the rent of similar units in the areas is up to 110k.
Please advise if the increase is legal!

Nov 11, 2021
2416
Increasing the rent 15 days before the contract renewal


3
Q: Can a landlord ask for a 10% increase in the rent just 15 days before the contract renewal?



Oct 26, 2021
1526
Can the landlord force rent increase if it is not allowed by RERA Rent Index?
7
Q: Hello Madame.
My landlord sent me a notice to increase rent on the renewal of tenancy, 90 days in advance before the end of the contract.
However, no rent increase is permitted as per RERA Rental Index, as such, I refused the increase and asked him to renew the tenancy at the same rent as last year.
He refused and asked me to vacate upon tenancy completion which is on 14-Feb. Now, he is threatening to come to the house, and force me to vacate on 14-Feb.
What are my legal options?
I want to continue living in this house, and pay the same rent, as last year, as no increase is permitted as per RERA Rent Index.

Feb 10, 2022
2678
Asking a tenant to pay more rent and threatening to disconnect the DEWA
2
Q: Dear sir/madam,
I signed a contract F with a seller to buy his house. I asked the seller to move into the house prior to signing the transfer document, and he agreed under the condition that I pay him a rent until the date our bank clears his mortgage.
After moving into the house and once his loan was cleared, he sent me an email and asked for more rent and threatened me to cut the DEWA. The transfer should happen next week, what is my legal position?
As per the contract, he is obliged to come to the signature. I told him that if he disconnects the DEWA and asks me to leave the house, then he is breaching our initial rent agreement, based on which I moved to the house.
Can he know use this in court by not coming to the transfer date appointment, saying that I didn't pay him rent?
I confirmed many times that I will still pay the rent we agreed on in the first place unless he cuts the DEWA or ask me to leave.
Please advise!

Aug 3, 2022
249
Can a landlord force a higher rent increase after sending a notice?


2
Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
I am currently renting a flat in Dubai, and my landlord has sent me a rent increase request 90 days before the renewal date.
I have replied to the same email stating my difficulties and requesting to maintain the same rent as last year, and I mentioned that I will leave the flat if my request is not considered.
I have sent two reminders since then, but it has been around 14 days from my first email, and they have not yet responded.
Will I be forced to renew at the higher rent?



May 2, 2023
140
How to increase rent to match market prices?



3
Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
My tenants would like to renew their tenancy contract for another year. However, property rental prices in the area of my property have increased by 30-35% in the last 12 months.
As I am not a wealthy landlord (the property was purchased from my pension funds in order to provide me with an income), is it acceptable for me to increase the rent to align with current market prices when preparing the new contract?
Please note that the RERA index calculator does not appear to reflect current market prices, so I am unsure of the best course of action or what my options are.
For example, if the tenant does not accept the increase, am I entitled to ask them to leave at the end of their contract?




May 15, 2023
115
Is it legal for my rent to increase by over 20%?




1
Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
My landlord has just sent me an evaluation certificate indicating that the rent for the property we are staying in is AED 220,000 and wants to increase it from AED 150,000 to AED 220,000. Is this legal?
Many thanks!





Feb 20, 2024
424
What's more important: the tenancy contract or UAE rental laws on tenancy renewal?




1
Q: Hello,
I hope you can advise me, please!
I'm a tenant in Dubai. The owner/agency didn't send me the rent increase notice 90 days in advance. It was sent to me on Thu, 18 Apr, 22:16. My lease expires on June 24, 2024.
So it's 78 days instead of 90. But they claim that in the signed contract there is a statement:
"In the event that the tenant wishes to renew the lease at the end of the tenancy, they should notify the landlord in writing 90 days prior to the expiry date of the rental contract."
Since I didn't do this, they demand to increase my rent by the maximum amount possible as per RERA.
As far as I can understand, according to the law, if no one notifies anyone before 90 days, the default is to extend the lease. So there is no increase.
What is more important according to law, the signed contract, or UAE laws in this case?
Thank you very much, hope you can advise and help me!





+2
May 10, 2024
230
Legal blog
1 available 1 • View allWhat You Should Know While Renting a Property in the UAE 5
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.
Feb 24, 2020
3919
Laws & Regulations
3 available 3 • View allLaw No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai 12
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.
Nov 26, 2007
24284
Law No. (33) of 2008 Amending Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai 8
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.
Dec 1, 2008
24939
Decree No. (43) of 2013 Determining Rent Increases for Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai 9
This Decree determines the maximum percentage of rent increase for real property in the Emirate of Dubai when renewing lease contracts.
Dec 18, 2013
13238

Other answers by
46 46 answers •
View allWhat to do in case of issuing cheques to a friend for rent and is not paying the amount? 0
Hi Ms. Jennifer,
My friend in Dubai opened her dance studio in Karama & requested me to give her 4 cheques in my name as they had some issues opening an account.
She assured me that every alternative month before the due date of the cheque she would deposit the said amount in my account. The 1st cheque was on 10 Nov 2022, for which she put the amount in my account.
On 10 Jan 2023 was the 2nd cheque & this time she did not put the money in my account, I borrowed money from my known sources to avoid the cheque bounce case.
It has been 13 days now & she has still not deposited my money in the account. How can I get out of this situation?
I want to take back my 2 pending cheques from the landlord as the class does not belong to me, I just helped on humanitarian grounds & this is what I got in return.
I have been messaging her pleading with her to deposit the money in my account but she has been giving me excuses.
Please guide & help me.
Jan 23, 2023
450
Starting a new business after closing the old one 0
Dear sir/madam,
I am planning to start a new business in the UAE. I left my old office and planning to go for the registration of a new license.
Is there any legal issue to start a business? And can I approach my existing clients for the new business?
Apr 18, 2022
265
Refusing to return the remaining rental cheques despite providing a proper notice 0
Dear sir/madam,
Can a landlord refuse to return the remaining rental cheques if the tenancy agreement has been terminated earlier with proper notice in place?
I am vacating a quarter earlier, but the landlord refuses to return the 4th quarter cheque until I vacate the premises and he makes post-inspection despite having a separate security deposit amount in place.
Feb 14, 2022
859
Is it possible to settle credit card debts after losing job and leaving the UAE? 0
Hi,
I was laid off in June 2020 during COVID19 and had credit cards in several banks. I had to leave the country but was still paying the banks up until September 2021.
So I was getting calls from the bank, and the last one was maybe in December 2021. A new law came into effect this January, so the cheque bounce was decriminalized but the civil case is still there and a new option of some kind of execution is also there now.
I don't know if I got any cheque bounce, do I get a notification on my email or SMS on my mobile? (My mobile is still active and I am outside of Dubai since then).
Also, want to ask- under the new rule does the execution smth can lead to imprisonment and/or a travel ban? And if yes then for how long?
Will I be able to come to Dubai and find a job if the execution case is there?
Thank you
Feb 7, 2022
489
Vacating an apartment by the landlord upon tenant's refusal of the new contract 0
Hi,
I have a query regarding a contract renewal. I have given notice by the notary public to my tenant to vacate my apartment.
He is not agreeing on terms and conditions and is asking to have the same terms and conditions as the previous year's contract, for which I said that I will not sign the contract which contains renewal terms and conditions.
(I told him 90 days before the current contract expiry date that I am not willing to renew and I will give the notice to vacate).
So if I do not sign the contract and it gets renewed automatically, can my tenant challenge the notice by a notary public at the time of vacating the apartment?
Thank you!
Jan 24, 2022
508
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