Q: I live in Dubai Marina, and the landlord claimed that according to new Dubai Land regulations, the chiller now has to be paid by the person occupying the apartment. Even though my contract says that the landlord should pay the chiller, they want to implement this mid-contract. I understand that the terms upon renewal will be renegotiated, but on what grounds can they implement the change mid-contract? Does a new DLD regulation precede a tenancy contract? Moreover, I am receiving a disconnection notice from the chiller company due to non-payment. What can I do if this happens? Please advise.

Q: Dear Sirs, I am facing a serious issue with regards to the chiller unit of my flat. I stay in Ajman in a 2-bedroom flat in a tower owned by a real estate company and the flat owner is an expatriate. My cooling bill from the real estate company is coming abnormally high even when we didn't use it during the winter the chiller charges keep on coming. So when I contacted the real estate company they send a technician and checked and told me the issue is with the units installed inside the flat not outside and it's not their responsibility. Then I contacted the flat owner who sent technicians and found some faulty components and replaced them. Now I have incurred a total cooling bill of more than AED 8000 from the real estate company, which was just due to the faulty components of the AC parts installed inside the flat. Am I liable to pay this amount? Both the real estate company and the flat owner refused to take responsibility. Kindly guide me on what options I have. V. C. T.

Q: My landlord has requested the A/C company to bill the district charges to me. I have lived in the apartment for the past 2 years. Last week I received a bill with backdated charges since October 2016. My contract states I am responsible for water and electricity and does not mention A/C. I have paid for the usage of all the utility bills since moving in there. Who is responsible for the district cooling charges, and if it is the landlord, how can I stop the A/C company from billing me?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I am in the process of renewing my tenancy contract and the agent is claiming AED 1000 administration fee for the renewal. This was not stipulated in the contractual agreement that was signed for the current rental term. Am I responsible to pay this admin fee? From my understanding, the landlord is responsible for paying the admin fee for renewal. Is this correct? Please note that this is for the combined tenancy agreement only and not for the EJARI. I have the responsibility to renew the EJARI.

Q: Hello, I have a couple of questions regarding the DLD Rental Valuation Certificate: 1. My building is chiller-free. Does the certificate consider the building being chiller-free? 2. Can the rental valuation certificate be used to increase the rent more than what the RERA rental index suggests? Thanks in advance!

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, Can a district cooling company refuse to refund the security deposit until an owner sells their flat, even though it has been rented out and they have accepted a second security deposit from the new tenant?

Q: I have been living in this apartment for 3 years. When I rented it, the agent told me it has a chiller with DEWA. Now the agent told me I need to pay chiller fees for the past 3 years. The chiller charges are part of the service charge billed to the landlord & they are fixed for every quarter. The chiller fee is very expensive & approx AED 5600 yearly which is much higher than what I used to pay elsewhere. My tenancy contract has a standard RERA template which states the tenant should pay all electricity, gas, cooling charges, etc. However, I have never paid any chiller fees for the last 3 years nor has the agent/landlord mentioned anything. I checked the contract & my previous conversation with the agent - it was not mentioned anywhere that the apartment chiller is with DEWA. Because of that, the agent is insisting that I have to pay. Is it legal for them to suddenly force me to pay this amount? Some said that I am not liable to pay any bills not issued in my name, and some suggested that the bill is too old.

Q: Hi Sir, I'm a tenant who rented a studio apartment through a real estate company, and while moving in, they said that the chiller fee is included in the rent amount and I don't need to pay anything extra. While moving out, they are troubling me a lot by asking for a chiller fee and pest control saying that the apartment was filled with cockroaches, etc. If you can help me, please contact me. I faced some bad words from the owner's side like she would kick me out today herself, etc. I have all the screenshots and voice recordings with me.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I recently signed a rental contract based on the agent's confirmation that the apartment is chiller-free. While I had a WhatsApp conversation confirming this, it was not mentioned in the contract because the agent claimed it was not a standard practice. However, I have now discovered that the chiller is connected to my DEWA. I agreed to rent the apartment for AED 66,500 instead of AED 60,000 because the agent assured me that there would be no additional cost for the chiller. What options do I have now?

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 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.

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.