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: Greetings, A brief about the rental dispute that we have with our office bldg owner: So our office landlord has recently filed a legal case with the Rental Disputes Center against our company. They are demanding us to pay the unpaid rent from March 2020 onwards. We felt it would be unfair for us to continue paying since we have been suffering from a frustrating AC issue since July 2019, and this particular issue has been from the building’s central unit apparently, During the past 2 years of having this issue, we contacted the landlord and his team so many times and asked them to resolve the matter, but these guys didn’t really take any proper steps to resolve the issue. Please note below the clause mentioned in the contract between us & the landlord: "Lessor shall keep the premises in a good state of repair and fit for habitation." Kindly let us have your professional legal advice so that we consider using your services, Thanks, H. M.

Q: Dear, Last year, 28th September 2017 to be exact, we rented 1 BHK Flat in Bur Dubai. The flat is old and since we required it on an urgent basis, we took the flat with unfixed things. We as the tenant fixed whatever is needed (bathroom door, kitchen cabinets, bathroom ceiling...etc.). We decided not to renew the contract due to the maintenance issues we had encountered. Now, the real state agent is asking us to pay the maintenance which quoted me for AED3500/- (kitchen and toilet ceiling change, full flat ceiling change, light change, switch change, kitchen exhaust fan change, all cleaning, shower pipe change, cabinet hinges repair, all materials and labours). Do we really need to pay for this maintenance? Please advice. Highly appreciate your immediate answer. Thanks & regards,

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have a question about the renewal of my contract for the third year. The owner has increased the rent according to the RERA index, and I have agreed to this. However, there was an additional term in the contract that stated that the landlord would be responsible for major maintenance. The landlord has now said that all maintenance will be the responsibility of the tenant, and he has stopped communicating with me. Is it allowed to change the terms and conditions of the contract when renewing it with a higher rent price?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, We operate a restaurant and are contractually obligated to purchase our goods and services from the landlord. However, the landlord is trying to evict us (even though we have three years left on our lease) by refusing to process any orders we send them. How should we deal with this?

Q: Hello, In the UAE, what are a tenant's rights if the landlord fails to carry out necessary maintenance on the property?

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.

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.

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.

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.