Q: Dear Sir, We have paid an amount with Rent Dispute Committee (RDC) for a rent case, but supposedly there is the bounced cheque case still filed with police. Since we have paid based on the court order and paid in court, doesn't the cheque amount drop? Do we pay twice the same amount? Best regards

Q: Hi madam, If a lot of cheques equal to AED 300,000 have been bounced and cases are filed and a travel ban imposed, what will be the punishments or consequences to be faced if caught? I can't afford to pay back even 1,000 Dhs. Will I have to pay the full amount? Please advise. Thanks

Q: What could be consequences if my rental cheque is returned? Do I have 2-3 months after the date of the cheque to arrange the necessary amount? What is the worst case scenario for me?

Q: Today I've got a call from Dubai Airport Terminal 1 police station. I've been asked to come to the police station without giving me a reason. I have an unpaid bank loan but I am not aware of any court case in this regard. What are my rights in this situation? Should this kind of request from police be in writing? Can I ignore this telephone call and what are the consequences?

Q: Hi. If my rental cheque has bounced and I paid the fine in my primary case, do I get a jail term after that? Can I travel to my home country?

Q: We rented a business working space at one of the business centres. We used the premises for two months but the service was very bad. Moreover, our business was a startup, hence it didn't take up. The business centre management had agreed on vacating the place within a week as per our deal. Now, they are not returning our security cheque. We were supposed to pay only AED 4000 for an early exit. They are arm-twisting us by depositing our monthly cheques along with the security deposit, which of course bounced and they made a police case for which we paid the fine. They are purely cheating and trying to take the pending rent, but it was agreed that we can vacate. Please advise what is the next step we can take.

Q: My landlord is abroad and is not currently able to travel to Dubai to withdraw one of my rental cheques. Instead, he has asked me if I would be able to transfer the rent amount to the building management team as part of paying off his service charges. I am not comfortable with this and wanted to know where I stand from a legal perspective.

Q: Dear Sir, I haven't paid rent to my landlord since Feb '21 till date. The contract expired on Nov '21. I have been staying since then without a contract. While my phone calls - were disconnected since Dec '21, I did not hear from the landlord via Whatsapp or e-mail as well. And I also did not contact him. Today the landlord came and said that the court people came 2 months ago, to check if I was there. However the building management say they never were asked by any people about my whereabouts. My landlord says he wants me to vacate within 2 days. Pending rent is for 13 months. 9 months of the contract period and four months of non-contract period. Today I paid him 25,000 and tomorrow we will draw up an agreement plan for the balance payment of AED 67,000. The landlord has AED 13,000 of my deposit with him. Can I request a 30 days eviction period from the landlord? As I have not gotten any formal notice as yet. I know i am still in the wrong. Please advise. Thank you

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

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.

As the civil and commercial transactions in the UAE have been growing rapidly, and due to replacing cash with other financial instruments such as cheques for big amounts of money, this had caused some hiccups at times leading to criminal and civil consequences on the person who defaults on fulfilling obligations.

يلعب الشيك دوراً مهماً في الحياة اليومية سواء في ميدان المعاملات التجارية أو في ميدان المعلامات المدنية باعتباره أداة وفاء والتزام تحل محل النقود في التعامل بين الافراد. ونظراً لهذه الأهمية فقد أصبح أكثر الأوراق التجارية انتشاراً وتداولاً بين الناس، على الرغم من حداثته نوعاً ما. فالشيك لم يبق كما كان في بداية عهده أداة لسحب الودائع المصرفية لحساب الساحب ذاته، بل أصبح أداة وفاء تحل محل النقود سواء على النطاق الداخلي بالنسبة للمعاملات التي يقوم بها الأفراد داخل الدولة فحسب وزادت أهميته.

This Law promulgates the Federal Penal Code (Criminal Law) of the United Arab Emirates. Crimes and chastisement punishments shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other penal codes.

The provisions of this Decree apply to all individuals and entities conducting the activity of leasing out holiday homes in the Emirate of Dubai, including special development zones and free zones. Conditions and requirements should be determined by the DTCM in coordination with the concerned entities.

The provisions of this Decree by Law amend the Federal Law No. (18) of 1993 by replacing Clause (4) of Article (379) as well as Articles (600), (617), (641), (642), (643), (644), and adding new articles numbered (635) Bis, (641) Bis (1), (641) Bis (2), (641) Bis (3), (641) Bis (4), (643) Bis (1), (643) Bis (2), (644) Bis (1) and (644) Bis (2). The Decree-Law also repeals Articles (401), (402) and (403) of the Federal Law No. (3) of 1987.