Q: We are tenants for the past 18 years. Due to the business failure for 3 years, we are unable to pay the rent for now nearly 3 years and waiting for the landlord to say to vacate and go without penalizing us. However, now they have come to us and saying that we need to pay all the 3 years of rent. Failing to do so, the landlord will send the police to vacate us. Please can you advise us on the solution? We just want to move out from here as we cannot afford to pay the rent. Is there any help for us?

Q: I own a business in Abu Dhabi and my office is located in a business centre. The business centre issued a Tawtheeq and I renewed my trade licence. Four months later, I gave a notice to the business centre to leave the office. They said I need to provide them with the new trade licence that has the new office address so they can give me back the 2 security checks and the one-month cash deposit they have. I didn't rent a new office yet and I understood the business centre managed to cancel the Tawtheeq. However, they still insist on getting the updated trade licence with the new office address so they can rent again the office I was occupying, they said it was what the "Tawtheeq" department asks for. Is this all legal? What are my options? Do I necessarily need to have a new office to claim my 2 cheques and deposit back? Thanks

Q: A company has rented a small office in a business center, but has been unable to pay the rent for a few months since the COVID-19 lockdown. The business center has locked up the office, preventing access and usage, but continues to accrue the new unpaid rents as being due even though the company has no access to use the premises. Is this legal? The lease mentions that the landlord is allowed to lock up the office in case of late payments, but I had in mind that was illegal, hence that this clause was invalid, and that the company should have access to the office and to retrieve its belonging from there. Thanks, E.

An interview-format article covering the topic of defaulting on commercial lease in the UAE and related procedures. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW. In this article, Ludmila discusses what one should do if the tenant becomes unresponsive.

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. 

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.