Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
7 available 7 • View allCan 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
2692
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
2425
A tenant refuses a legal rent increase according to RERA, what to do?


1
Q: Hello,
My tenant refused a legal rent increase according to RERA rental increase calculator and asked me to find a new tenant.
After a couple of weeks, he changed his mind and didn't want to move out and didn't accept the increase saying that it is now less than 90 days to the end of the contract and I didn't send him notice through a notary.
If I file a case at RDC, who pays for all the RDC fees and lawyer fees? Does he have to pay for RDC fees and my lawyer fees as I have to pay RDC fees first in order for the process to start?



May 23, 2021
2600
What is the allowed increase as per the rental index for a villa tenancy?
2
Q: Here's my situation:
1. I have a tenancy for a villa that is coming up for renewal on the 1st of September
2. On the 28th of May, the landlord sent me an email stating that they want to increase the rent but did not state by how much.
3. On the 1st of June, the landlord's representative sent me an email with a "rental valuation certificate" stating that the valued rent of the property is AED 225,000
4. On the 1st of June, we checked the rental index and have found that it states that the rent for an individual five-bedroom villa is in the range of AED 231,000 to AED 260,000, whilst the rent for a complex in Jumeirah is in the range of AED 202,000 to AED 246,000
5. My tenancy for last year was AED 189,000
6. The landlord wants to increase the rent by 19% based on the valuation certificate
7. I've said to the landlord that “Decree No. 43 of 2013 Rent Increase for Real Property in the Emirates of Dubai” states that the maximum increase should be 5%. Is my understanding correct?

Jun 20, 2022
695
What to do if the landlord asks for rent increase that exceeds the RERA Rental Index?

27
Q: Good afternoon,
My tenancy contract is expiring on 31 May 2023 (90 days notice period starts 1st March 2023). My current rent is 175000/year. The RERA Rental Index is 150k - 190k for my townhouse.
My landlord informed me a week ago that he wants to increase the rent to 240k as per ‘Market-value’, but as he is willing to negotiate he would accept 225k.
My questions:
1) What are my options in this case?
2) What is the RERA ‘Offer and Deposit’ option? (Not sure what this is)
3) What can he do with a Rent Valuation Certificate?
Thanks a lot!


Dec 7, 2022
1442
Can a new landlord impose a rent increase that is higher than the RERA index?




4
Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
My tenancy contract will expire in 4 months. I was just informed that the apartment has been sold to a new landlord.
The new landlord wants to impose a 15% rent increase upon renewal, even though the RERA index calculated a 5% increase.
If there has been a transfer of ownership, can a new landlord impose any rent increase they wish? Or should they still comply with the RERA calculator?
Imposing a big jump in rent increase could mean that new landlords can indirectly "evict" tenants with very little notice if they can't afford the newly imposed rent.





Jun 14, 2023
1495
I agreed with my landlord to increase the rent 10% I pay in cash. Should I insist on changing the contract?


0
Q: I'm staying in JLT in a house with a rent of AED 140,000 per year. The lease starts on 1st Sep '23 and expires on 31st Aug '24.
The landlord sent me a legal notice from the Dubai Courts in mid-Sep '23, giving me 1-year notice to vacate the house as he plans to sell the house. The notice was received by me through email from the court.
He claims the email notice sent by the court is not valid till I receive it by courier via Aramex for my physical signature. Can you please confirm if this is true?
The landlord is now ready to let me stay in this house for two more years. He has proposed that we maintain the existing lease agreement and Ejari. However, I should pay him AED 14,000 in cash (10% increment).
We will sign a separate paper document wherein we will agree that I will further rent increase of 10% (10% on (140,000+14,000)) on 1st Sep'24 when my current lease expires.
Should I insist on making a fresh written contract with the higher rent (140,000+14,000=154,000)?



Nov 18, 2023
135
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
3938
Laws & Regulations
3 available 3 • View allDecree 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
13243
Law 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
24293
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
24962

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If someone has a case in the UAE, can they travel to another GCC country? 0
Hi.
One of my friends joined a Telegram group. They said, "We will transfer some amount to your account, and your task is to transfer this amount to another account. Once the task is completed, you will get 30 or 50 AED per task."
He completed 3 to 4 tasks, but he realized it was not good, so he stopped. After one week, when he opened his account, it was blocked, and the bank said, "We are conducting an investigation; after this, we will let you know."
After some days, he had an accident and went to his home country. He then received a call from a landline number, which was from the Abu Dhabi police station.
They said, "We have received a complaint against you; come to our investigation department." However, due to his surgery and treatment, he could not go.
After some time, his bank account was reopened, and he did not receive any further calls. I want to know, if he comes back to the UAE or goes to any other GCC country, will he face any problems?
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Feb 17, 2025
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What can I do if my employer refuses to pay me and I have no contract? 0
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What legal action can I take in case the employer refuses to pay my salary and I don't have a contract with them?
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I want to open an online shop. Do I need a license to open an Etsy shop? 0
I currently live in Sharjah and have a UAE residence visa but I am not a UAE or GCC national. I want to open an online shop (Etsy or Shopify) to sell handmade items, such as crocheted goods, bookmarks, greeting cards, etc.
Do I need a license to open an Etsy shop?
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How can we locate a person with an ongoing legal case? 0
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I am seeking your legal advice regarding a friend who was previously imprisoned in Abu Dhabi. His case there is now closed, but he has another ongoing case in Dubai.
Currently, we have lost contact with him and are unsure of his whereabouts. How can we check where he is or access any other legal facility?
Are there legal procedures to locate a person with an ongoing case?
What steps should we take to get more information about his status and legal position?
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313 313 answers •
View allCan the landlord request the tenant to pay the chiller in the middle of the contract? 0
I live in Dubai Marina, and the landlord claimed that according to new Dubai Land regulations, the chiller now has to be paid by the person occupying the apartment.
Even though my contract says that the landlord should pay the chiller, they want to implement this mid-contract.
I understand that the terms upon renewal will be renegotiated, but on what grounds can they implement the change mid-contract?
Does a new DLD regulation precede a tenancy contract? Moreover, I am receiving a disconnection notice from the chiller company due to non-payment.
What can I do if this happens?
Please advise.
Mar 23, 2022
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Can I travel with a non-paid telecom bill in the UAE if my visa is canceled? 0
Can I travel with a non-paid telecom bill in the UAE if my visa is canceled?
Feb 16, 2023
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Does the new property owner have to sign a new contract with the tenant? 0
Hi,
I'm a new landlord of the property which is already rented.
Kindly advise, do we have to sign a new tenancy contract with the tenant for the remaining period? And who will pay the cost of Ejari?
Feb 16, 2023
2565
Cleaner's resignation with 30-day notice in incomplete contract 0
Hello,
Good afternoon!
My friend works as a cleaner for a cleaning company and she now wants to resign with a 30-day notice. However, she has not completed the two-year contract and has only served for 16 months.
Additionally, she has not taken any vacation leave. The sad part is that when she signed the offer letter, she did not receive a copy of it and only signed it.
I would be very grateful if you could let me know if she would have to pay or if her boss has the right to not accept the resignation if the notice period mentioned in the offer letter is more than a month.
Her boss has not provided her with any kind of proof that she can use in the future if anything happens.
Feb 13, 2023
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The ownership of a code of a web application 0
Hello,
I represent a tech-based marketplace company registered in a Freezone, in the UAE.
This is in regards to the UAE's law regarding the ownership of code when there is no clause mentioned in the agreement. One of our products (web application) is being developed by an agency in the UAE.
While we do have agreements in place, there is no clause regarding ownership of code. In the situation mentioned above, I've heard that the ownership of code either goes to the author or the agency that employed the author. Is this true?
Your assistance and help would be of great help.
Sep 7, 2021
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