Q: Hi, My landlord, through his agent, sent an email for a rent increase 86 days before my lease expires. The mail, unfortunately, went to the spam folder & was deleted before I could reply to it. I reached out to renew the contract. The landlord is insisting I renew at the rent mentioned in the mail as there was no response earlier and has even threatened eviction. Can I challenge this? Or can my lack of response to the earlier communication be taken as being an agreement to the new rent?

Q: I bought a villa without viewing it on 30-12-2022. It was rented at AED 75,000/year (contract expiry 23-03-2022). The previous landlord served an eviction notice (Sale) in September 2021 to the tenant for 12 months. He also sent an email 90 days before the expiry of the tenancy agreement to the tenant informing him that "the rent increase will be as per RERA guidelines and by him or the new owner if he managed to sell the villa before March 23, 2022". Last week, the tenant sent an email requesting to renew the contract and then on WhatsApp chat he agreed to a rent renewal at AED 100,000. When I sent the tenancy contract to him on WhatsApp, his lawyer sent me a legal notice: 1. Forcing me to renew the contract with AED 75,000 and not as per the RERA increase which will be almost 95,000. The current market is AED 125,000 2. Not allowing me to inspect/view the villa and if I insist, then he will take legal action against me What should I do?

Q: Hello, I am living in a flat in Dubai. The contract states that the owner should give me a 90-day notice if he wants to take the flat. However, the real estate agent called me three weeks after the due date and told me that the owner wants to take possession of the flat to live in it. I am not very familiar with the laws here, but can I force the owner to renew the contract as he contacted me three weeks after the due date? Or does he have the right to invoke this reason whenever he pleases, thus bypassing the 90-day notice? How can I verify that the landlord really wants to live in the flat? Because once I leave, he could rent it again without my knowledge. Thank you for your responses!

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I agreed with my landlord to vacate his apartment because he wanted to sell the property. He provided me with one year's notice from a notary public. My current contract ends on June 4th, 2023. However, the one-year notice period expires at the end of November 2023. I have two questions: - Can he increase the rent from June 4th, 2023 to November 2023? - How can I request evidence from the landlord that he is selling the property?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have a question about rental renewal and would appreciate your response. The landlord did not give us any notice of rent increase or renewal before the 90-day expiration of the contract. However, I gave the landlord written intent-to-renew notice by email before 60 days of the rental expiration. They explained on the phone that they would like to renovate the villa and therefore will not be renewing the rental contract. Can you please confirm what is the minimum notice period that the landlord needs to provide for eviction if they want to renovate the villa? And can they refuse to renew the contract even though they did not serve the notice 90 days before the expiration of the contract?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord sent me a legal notice through the Dubai Courts notary, giving me 12 months' notice to vacate. He stated that he is willing to sell the house, but it is highly likely that this is not accurate and he is looking to rent it out at a much higher rent. My current lease ends on November 14, 2023, and the legal notice is dated August 7, 2023. The landlord has also emailed me asking to sign a lease for the period November 2023 to August 2024. What are my options? Is it useful for me to send a response to their legal notice stating that we have received their notice, and that if they do not actually sell the villa, we will monitor the situation and not only report to RERA but also file for compensatory damages? Can we request any evidence of them selling the villa? Finally, if I speak to them and it turns out that they want to rent the villa at a much higher rate and they send me a lease with the higher rent, can I use that as support for their intention?

Q: Dear Questioner, Abusing tenant trust for fake eviction! We are based in Dubai and have had a good three-year relationship with our landlord, who is in Abu Dhabi. The building had a lot of maintenance issues, and I always kept him informed about the increasing problems. Six months before the contract expiry date, the landlord visited us and said: "I have decided to return to Dubai with my family. Thanks to our relationship since 2020 and the problems you're facing in the building, I assume this is okay for you. I don't want to send a legal notice. Can you please send me an email for eviction?" As we knew the family and trusted them, we accepted their request. However, after moving out, I saw that he was renting the house for a higher rent! Is it worth initiating a legal case, as he lied to us? By chance, in my email to him, I mentioned that "we are leaving as you told us that you're moving into your house," and he responded positively. The emails were through the registered mail addresses. Thanks in advance for your guidance!

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord had originally said that I could stay in the villa during the minor renovation (inside) and construction of a new building outside. He put it in writing and agreed that the tenancy value of the property would not increase significantly for two years based on these improvements. I then received an eviction notice due to renovation. I have lived in the same villa for 18 years. My question is: At what point does the landlord need to have the attested Dubai Municipality report to show that the planned renovation makes the property uninhabitable, as this has not been shown anywhere yet?

Q: Good morning, I have just received an eviction notice. The reason for the eviction is the "urgent need for a notifier for conducting alterations and comprehensive maintenance". I think that this eviction notice is unjustified as the apartment was completely refurbished in May/June 2022, with a new kitchen, bathroom furniture and fittings, new tiles, and a new water heater (I have a video of the ongoing works). The works were still ongoing when I moved in, in June '22. I couldn't use the apartment to the full extent and unpack until the works were completed in September'22. I suspect that the landlord wants to get rid of me due to the spike in rental prices in Dubai. According to the RERA calculator, she could raise the rent to a maximum of 15%. In the case of letting the apartment to a new tenant, she would get much more. Doesn't the landlord need to provide me with a technical report attested by Dubai Municipality together with the eviction notice? What are my options? What can I do to prevent the eviction?

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.

In Dubai, property owners often seek to enhance their investments through renovations. However, evicting tenants to facilitate these renovations involves specific legal requirements and considerations. Understanding these regulations is crucial for landlords looking to avoid potential disputes and ensure compliance with Dubai’s rental laws.

This Decree determines the maximum percentage of rent increase for real property in the Emirate of Dubai when renewing lease contracts.

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.

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.