Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My rental contract ends in November 2023, but my landlord has sold the apartment. Also, she sent me a notice in November 2022 to vacate in November 2023. My questions are: - Do I need to have a contract with the new landlord to hand over new cheques to him? Or a written document at least? He is asking me just to give him the cheques. - If he does not wish to renew my contract in November 2023, when and how shall he communicate that to me? Note: my current rental contract is not in Ejari as the previous landlord didn't register it, but it was created through a typing center as per the recommendation of the Dubai Land Department and signed by her.

Q: My rental contract ends in November 2023, but my landlord has sold the apartment. Also, she sent me a notice in November 2022 to vacate in November 2023. My question is: - The new landlord doesn't want to sign a new contract until November but he is asking me to give him the cheques. What shall I do? Note: my current rental contract is not in Ejari as the previous landlord didn't register it, but it was created through a typing center as per the recommendation of the Dubai Land Department and signed by her.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I recently purchased a studio flat in Dubai that was previously tenanted under a Tenancy Contract from November 2022 to November 2023. However, there is no registered Ejari to establish a tenant-landlord relationship in the Dubai Government record. The previous landlord had given the tenant a year's notice to vacate the flat, which was given six months ago. Now that I have purchased the flat, I have asked the tenant to replace the cheques, but she has refused to cooperate. Can you please advise me on whether I am obligated to continue the Tenancy Agreement signed by the previous owner, given the absence of an Ejari? Alternatively, when can I tell her to vacate the flat, or do I have to wait until November 2023? Secondly, I would like to know if I need to serve the tenant with an eviction notice again to vacate the flat. If so, for how long is the remaining period valid, or do I need to issue a new eviction notice of one year? I would appreciate your prompt response. Many thanks! Kind Regards,

Q: Hello, My new landlord has the old checks from the previous landlord. I have already paid the rent to the new landlord, but he is not giving me back the old checks with the name of the old landlord. What legal actions can I take in this matter? Can I inform the police about this? Or should I do it through the rental disputes center?

Q: Hello, This is related to a tenancy contract. I'm staying in an apartment on rent and the lease is about to expire. I had agreed with the owner that I would move out at the end of the lease period. Recently, the apartment was sold and the new owner is saying that my rental agreement with the old owner is null & void (as the owner has changed now), and I'll have to get into a new agreement with him on exactly the same terms; there'll be no economic impact on me. Am I legally required to get into a new tenancy contract with the new owner for the remaining term? Do I need to get into that complication?

Q: Dear Team, I recently purchased a studio on May 10th for 660k, which is currently rented out for 60k in 2 cheques. The second cheque is due on June 1st. We have approached the tenant to sign the new contract and provide the new cheque under my name. She is refusing to do so due to an "ongoing" dispute she claims to have with the previous agency and landlord regarding chiller charges. She alleges that she was informed that the unit is chiller-free, although this was not specified in the contract. She insists it was verbally communicated during her property viewing, but there is no written documentation to support this claim. I seek your advice on how to proceed to compel the tenant to sign the contract and provide the new cheque promptly, as she has indicated no intention to vacate the premises or issue the cheque. It is important to note that none of these issues was disclosed to us by the previous agent during the transaction. I appreciate your guidance on handling this matter effectively.

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.