Q: Hello Madame. My landlord sent me a notice to increase rent on the renewal of tenancy, 90 days in advance before the end of the contract. However, no rent increase is permitted as per RERA Rental Index, as such, I refused the increase and asked him to renew the tenancy at the same rent as last year. He refused and asked me to vacate upon tenancy completion which is on 14-Feb. Now, he is threatening to come to the house, and force me to vacate on 14-Feb. What are my legal options? I want to continue living in this house, and pay the same rent, as last year, as no increase is permitted as per RERA Rent Index.

Q: Dear sir/madam, My current rent is 140k for 3 BHK. Now is the time for the first renewal. My landlord has increased rent to 170k, whereas as per the RERA rent calculator, the rent of similar units in the areas is up to 110k. Please advise if the increase is legal!

Q: Dear Lawyers, I have been a tenant for the past three years and my landlord has been arguing about the rent. I have always stated that I will pay whatever is required according to RERA. Last year, in January 2022, he gave me a court-attested notice to sell the property. Throughout the year, he has been threatening to evict me and not renew my contract if I do not agree to his demands of an 80% rent increase. He has only had one viewing in the last 12 months (and has not listed the property on any websites) just to show that he is attempting to sell it. He has openly stated that he is willing to allow me to stay if I accept the 80% increase in rent, but if not, he will ask me to leave (and refuses to put this offer in writing). He claims that he has enough evidence to show that he tried to sell the property, and after I leave, he will leave it empty for two months before renting it out again, and there is nothing I can do about it. Can I dispute this in RDC and get my contract renewed? If I leave and he rents the property out after three months, can I claim damages from him?

Q: My landlord is trying to increase my rent outside of the RERA Index, using a DLD valuation as the basis. The sequence of events: 1. 90 days before my renewal, the landlord offered me a new lease with a 10% increase on my current rental 2. I challenged this by sharing the RERA rental index result, which stated there is no increase in the rental value 3. landlord decided at this point to do a DLD rental valuation 4. Last Friday, 49 days before my current lease expires, the landlord shared the valuation, which showed an increase of 21% on the rent (or looking at it another way, my current rent is 17.5% less than this current valuation) Can the landlord do that, and what is he legally allowed to increase my rent by in this scenario?

Q: Dear All, My rent renewal is due in April 2023 and currently paying AED 143000. The RERA Rental Index calculation shows an increase of 10%. The landlord sent a letter (90 days prior) along with a DLD valuation certificate attached stating that the rent will be increased to AED 220,000 (a 50%+ increase) based on the assessment of the property. Are there any options available to be able to contest this sizeable increase? (RDC will state that the landlord can use the valuation certificate to increase the rent now). Many thanks for your help.

Q: Hi, My rent renewal is due at the end of May. My landlord wants to increase my rent by 35% while the RERA Index is stating a 0% increase because I am within the average rental rate. The land-lord's management keeps responding back to me with the "valuation" report for an apartment that is vacant, not the apartment I am living in. I keep responding to them that the RERA Index states otherwise and that I am entitled to a 0% increase. What should I do?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I rented a farm in Umm Al Quwain, and the landlord agreed to provide free water, supplying 50m³/day during winter and up to 120m³ for the rest of the year. He also agreed to assist in finding buyers for the yield and fresh alfalfa for camels and cattle. However, he doesn't want to supply the water and about helping find buyers, he says "This is not my job." Of course, guarantee checks are given and now I refuse to pay since he doesn't fulfill his obligations. I tried to communicate but the sole reply I get now is: "I don't care about the agreement and I am very powerful." Of course, the check is handed over to the bank and since I emptied the account, it will bounce. I am faced with two conflicting replies that contradict my business etiquette. What steps should I take next?

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.

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.