Q: Hello We have given a legal notary notice of eviction to our tenant as we intend to sell our property. Viewings are required and we always give a min of 2-hour notice for viewing but our tenant is being difficult and restricting the time bands to unrealistically short periods, no weekends, no evenings... etc. It's very difficult to organize a viewing. What are our rights?

Q: Hi, We have an apartment that we are trying to sell and we also have a tenant living there. Her contract is until the end of May 2023. We sent her an eviction notice through notary public on Dec 2022 and she has 1 year to vacate the apartment. She wants to extend her contract from May to Dec as she is still allowed to stay til December as per notary notice. However, we are trying to stop her extension as she has bounced cheques, and she has been very uncooperative with agents viewing the apartment which is delaying the process of selling the apartment. What can I do with this?

Q: I have just renewed my lease, and now the landlord informed me that she wants to sell the villa and wants her agent to arrange viewings. I am working from home, and have a baby and toddler at home. We are being very cautious during the pandemic and I am not comfortable with strangers coming in and out of the house during COVID, what are my rights? There is nothing in the contract regarding sales or viewings.

Q: Hello, I am buying an apartment to live in. The only problem is that the apartment is currently rented, and the tenant's contract will end at the end of November. We talked with her, and she is willing to leave earlier. The real estate agent just sent me the contract between the current owner and her, which states that: "The landlord has to submit 60 days' written notice prior to the end of the contract to the tenant to inform them of any changes in the rent or terms and conditions (including vacating notice) of the tenancy contract." So, if I buy this apartment, will the rules stated in the contract between them apply to me as well? In the draft of Contract F, we also wrote that upon the completion of the transfer, the seller undertakes to send a notice directly to the tenant, in accordance with Clause 4.3 of the tenancy agreement, providing a minimum of 60 days' notice. Per Clause 4.3, the tenant is expected to agree to vacate the unit. Could this be enough? Thank you!

Q: Dear Lawyers, I had been living in a house with an expired tenancy contract. The house was sold, and the security deposit was returned to me. Prior to the transfer, I had verbally informed the previous owner that I wanted to leave. Ten days after the transfer to the new owner, I vacated the premises. The new owner is now asking me for compensation. Does he have valid grounds to sue me, since my tenancy contract had expired and I didn't sign one with the new landlord?

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 relationship between tenants and landlords is regulated in Dubai by Law No. 33 of 2008 Concerning the Relationship Between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai. The arising rental disputes are referred to Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (“RDSC”) created by Decree No. 26 of 2013 to reconcile between the parties and reach an amicable settlement or seek a final judgment issued and enforced by the RDSC.

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.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.