Q: Good evening, My tenant in JLT has subleased the apartment to bachelors. I would like to send him a notice to vacate pursuant to article 25 of Law No. (33) of 2008 Amending Law No. (26) of 2007. Is there a standard template to send a notice? Can I send it by registered post?

Q: Hello Sir, I was staying in an apartment with a friend in Sharjah and I relocated to Dubai before the end of the tenancy. The tenancy contract was in my name. I wrote an agreement with my friend to transfer the contract to his name or cancel at the expiration. When the contract ended he could not transfer and refused to cancel, so he started paying by cash to the real estate and owed them a huge amount and they opened a case against me at the municipality. I went with him and he sent a request letter to the Judge to transfer the debt to him stating that the debt belongs to him but it was not approved. Now, I have started paying the debt, can I use that his request and our agreement to open a case against him at the police or at the court? Thank you

Q: I was living in a sharing accommodation not having any link with the main owner. There is a 3rd person who took from the main owner and rent to 4-5 people. We were paying that person timely. But maybe he did not pay to the main owner, and suddenly main owner representative came and give all 4-5 people notice to pay 8 months' due rent, which we already paid to that agent in cash. We told him we don't know you and neither we have any agreement better to catch that 3rd person whom you have an agreement with. One day, the owner came to the flat and took out Emirates ID copy. Anyhow, we vacated the room already and now he is calling on the phone and asking us to pay electricity bills. We told him we already paid to the 3rd person. He said he will take legal action. Kindly advise what can happen. We paid all the rent which is including everything. We are salaried persons and we are afraid.

Q: Greetings, I have a tenant who has not paid his rent for over 1 year. He promises to pay but nothing happens and his checks bounce every time. I have also received warnings from building management that he is subletting the apartment without my knowledge or approval. He has promised to move out, but he hasn't done that either. What can I do the fastest to get him out of the premises? I live in Sweden so I have a property manager but he has also stopped answering my messages and phone calls since 2 months ago. Thank you in advance!

Q: Dear Sir, I bought a tenanted unit, and the tenancy contract was signed by one person. Shortly after, I found out that more people are living in the unit, and the tenancy contract doesn't allow subletting. I contacted the phone number in the contract via WhatsApp, chatted with a woman, and highlighted the problem. She referred to the men living in my unit as "tenants." At the end of our conversation, I learned that she is not my tenant. The tenant in my tenancy contract is a man, and I've received his Emirates ID from the previous owner. He doesn't live in the unit, and the phone number and email address in the contract, given as his, are not his own. Is this legal? Is the contract still valid? I would like to give my tenant an eviction notice because of subletting. I've found online that I have to give him a 30-day notice. Is that correct? Is there any rental penalty for the breach of the contract? Can I get compensation for my legal costs? Thanks!

Q: Hello, I have a tenant who is always late with their payment. Their renewal was supposed to be last December 2023. Currently, they have not signed any new contract, provided any new cheques, and have stayed for three months from December until now without paying rent. Additionally, I just discovered that they have sublet the apartment with partitions, which is clearly stated as not allowed in the old contract. Please let me know what should I do legally!

Q: Dear Consultant, Good morning! I have a rented property in Dubai. In March 2024, when I went to visit my flat, I found a subtenant inside. He informed me that he rented from "my tenant" and is paying on a monthly basis. This occurred without my consent, and his cheques return unpaid. I have heard from my friend about many options to vacate my unit and sue the original tenant. I would appreciate your advice on the subject matter as a consultant. Many thanks!

Q: I am a landlord. I gave my apartment to a guy who did not pay any rent and used my apartment for subleasing. I got so angry that I canceled the Ejari online on DLD and it got canceled easily. Now I sent an eviction notice to the tenant as the tenant is absconding and granted a broker his POA. So I am planning to file a case in RDC. Will it be accepted or rejected as I canceled the Ejari?

Q: Dear Lawyers, Can the building management company file a police report stating that sub-leasing is an illegal entrepreneurial activity conducted without a license? Are there any grounds for this? Even though sub-leasing does not require a license for a hostel.

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 defaulting on commercial lease in the UAE and related procedures. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW. In this article, Ludmila discusses what one should do if the tenant becomes unresponsive.

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. 

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.

The provisions of this law On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions (Law of Evidence) govern evidence in civil and commercial disputes in the UAE.