Questions & Answers
How to recover unpaid funds from a guest who left without paying?
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are a registered company that provides accommodation in Dubai. One of our guests partially paid for his stay and claimed to have an issue with the bank.
He promised to pay the remaining amount before departure, but left the property without informing us and left an unpaid bill of 6000 AED.
After departure, the guest apologized for the delay in payment and assured us that it would be paid shortly. However, the payment has not been made yet.
It has been over a month now, and the guest continues to acknowledge the debt and promises to pay as soon as he has funds (there is proof of this through multiple messages).
The Dubai police have informed us that they cannot assist with this type of claim.
Please advise on the best course of action and whether there is a chance to recover the unpaid funds.
Dear questioner,
A civil case can be filed to collect the remaining amount for you.
Send him a legal notice to pay the amount. After a week's notice, a civil case can be filed in the court of the city where he resides.
For small amounts, the court will precede the filing of a civil dispute with the court's Center for Amicable Settlements.
