Q: I am the owner and have legally notified my tenant regarding my intention to sell and have given her first right of refusal. But she is not signing nor allowing me access to arrange visits for other interested clients. What are my rights / legal steps to force a viewing

Q: Dear lawyer, I am a tenant in Dubai, seeking advice about the following situation: The current 1-year lease terminates on 22/09/2022 (in 78 days). As the tenant, I want to renew the lease and the landlord knows it. The landlord would like to sell the flat, however, she is still uncertain as no buyer has been found. No official eviction notice has been ever sent, only random WhatsApp messages that invite me to wait so that more potential buyers can come to see the flat. For obvious reasons, I am not willing to wait until the last minute to know if the lease can be renewed - and the real estate agent (appointed by the landlord) is pressing to bring more viewers. Considering the points above: 1- Can I "force" the landlord to extend the lease now? 2- If the landlord sells the propriety prior to the end date, will I be forced to move out on the end date (without any notice)? Thank you in advance

Q: Hi, We just moved into the apartment (just over a month) and now the landlord says that he had put up the property for sale and rent since 8 months ago, which we were not notified of by both the agent and the landlord. Considering we had plans to stay for long-term, we have had spent a significant amount on the furniture and the interiors. Now, I have been getting calls for viewings, so please help me understand: 1) Can I prohibit the access of the landlord for the viewing? 2) Can I withdraw from the contract and claim all my expenses after deducting for the days stayed, including the agent fees?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have been renting a 1-bedroom apartment for the past 3 years. The owner appointed an agency last year to manage the property, as I had previously dealt directly with the owner. I told the agent that I would be sending an email which is to be forwarded to the owner, stating my intent to renew the contract. The agent then informed me that he had sent me an email informing me that the owner does not wish to renew the contract, as he is considering selling the apartment. When I asked the agent for the email, he said he had sent it to me a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised to find that the email was from the agent's personal email address, and it read as follows: Dear Madam, We would like to inform you that as per the landlord, he doesn't want to renew your lease contract. He decided to sell the property. This is formal notice to the tenant as a non-renewable contract. Regards, I would like to stay on for another year, so please can you inform me of my rights as a tenant?

Q: I am a tenant in a villa. The landlord wants to sell the property to a new owner who wants to move in. My rental agreement is till August 15, which means my 90-day increase notice is due on May 15. Three parts to this question: 1. If the current owner serves me a 12-month notice, can the new owners still increase my rent? 2. If the current owner doesn't accept my counter-offer for the rental increase that he served before the notice (My offer is in line with the RERA calculations, but his is not), can he legally increase my rent if I get an eviction notice? 3. Is my eviction notice still valid if the sale of the property goes through? Or must the new owner serve me a new notice? Thanks in advance

Q: Can a tenant refuse to leave my house although he has agreed and signed a clause in the tenancy contract? The contract stipulates that if the owner finds a buyer for his property, the tenant will leave within 90 days of being informed and he will get an AED 31000 compensation.

Q: Hi there, I'm a broker and have a client who wants me to list his property. The landlord served a 12-month notice in September 2023, but the tenancy agreement is valid until January 2025. What happens in this case?

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.

An interview-format article covering the topic of rental disputes amidst COVID-19 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.

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.