Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have not been served with a 90-day notice of any rent increase. The agent says that the landlord has changed, and that is why the rent is being increased. My assumption is that even if the landlord has changed, they still have to give me 90 days' notice of any rent increase. Is that correct? Also, this is only my first-year renewal. When I checked the RERA valuation, it showed that there is no rent increase allowed. Please help!

Q: Hi, I gave my tenant a 1-year eviction notice 3 months ago. This is because my daughter will be moving into the unit. The current tenant is paying 32K while the rent is now 65K. However, the rent renewal is coming up in 3 months. Can I increase the rent in line with the rental increase or will this make the eviction notice invalid?

Q: Good Evening, I am looking to purchase a tenanted property where the seller has already served a one-year eviction notice to the tenant. I am purchasing it for personal use and want to move in as soon as the tenant leaves in March. Is the seller's original eviction notice still valid after he sells it to me or do I have to serve a new eviction notice to the tenant?

Q: Hi, I would like to purchase a property but there is a tenant inside. She was given an eviction notice in Feb 2023, but her tenancy contract is expiring in October 2023. The transaction goes well, by that time I should be owning the property and my intention is to move in and live there. However, I called Dubai Land Department and they told me that in case I make the purchase, I will need to serve a new eviction notice, which would push the tenant for another 12 months. In that case, I will not buy this property and look for a vacant one. The tenant seems ready to move out, but there can always be some unexpected situations, in which case she may extend. Therefore, I am happy to risk her staying until February next year, but not for another 12 months from the moment I buy the property. Please can you tell me what my options with this flat are, and how I can minimize the risk of the tenant staying longer? Thank you!

Q: Hi I bought a residential property on 31-Oct-2023. It has already been on lease to tenants by the seller. The seller has already served a 1-year legal eviction notice from Dubai Courts on 25 August 2023. The tenancy contract expiry will be the 30th of June 2024, and the new owner/buyer wants to stay in the said apartment after the expiry of the contract and ensure that the property is vacated on time and does not get extended beyond 24 August 2024. (Q1) Kindly confirm if it is required by law that a new 1-year legal notice has to be issued by the buyer or if the old legal notice issued by the seller is still valid. (Q2) The tenant company has kept 6 bachelor boys from their company in the flat, which I heard was illegal for the JLT area to have bachelors and even more than 4 boys. Please confirm if anything can be done about that. (Q3) Due to 6 bachelor boys, the 5-year-old flat is not being well maintained and the condition worsening. Kindly advise on the action to take. Thanks

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I am interested in buying a property that is currently tenanted. The agent has insisted that the tenant will vacate the property in two months; however, the current owner has not served any notice to the tenant. Is there an agreement we can ask the tenant to sign before we agree to buy the property, such as an undertaking in front of a magistrate? Can we include this in the MoU so that if the property is not vacated by a certain date, the MoU stands nullified?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I recently purchased a tenanted apartment in Dubai. The current tenant's rental contract with the previous owner is set to end in March 2025. I need your guidance on the legal process to notify the tenant of eviction so I can move in myself by the end of the existing contract. Specifically, I would like to know: - The legal process to notify the tenant of eviction. - The costs associated with initiating the eviction notice. - The required documents for issuing the eviction notice. Thanks in advance!

Q: Hi there! Our landlord sold the apartment we are currently staying in. We were aware they were on sale, but we never received any legal notice about it. We only received the title deed under the new owner's name and issued the rest of the cheques to him. Should we vacate the apartment at the end of our tenancy contract, or rely on the title deed's date (not sure if it is the correct document though)? Thanks in advance!

Q: My previous landlord served me a notice to vacate, stating he intended to sell the apartment, which he later sold to a private company. From what I understand, this notice should transfer to the new owner, who would only be allowed to either sell the unit or move in themselves and cannot ask me to vacate to re-lease for higher rent. We are closer to the 12-month notice expiry and the new owner (a private company) is now demanding a significantly higher rent—above RERA’s allowed increase—or insisting I vacate so they can lease it again at market rates. The demand is more than 50% of my current rent. Is this demand from the new owner valid? I called up RERA who couldn’t help and advised me to approach a lawyer. I am not sure if my rationale holds or if the new landlord is correct. I’ll appreciate advice from this community.

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.

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 determines the maximum percentage of rent increase for real property in the Emirate of Dubai when renewing lease contracts.