Q: Hello. I am a tenant in an apartment in Dubai (freehold), with the contract expiring in less than 90 days. The landlord says he is unable to renew the contract without specifying a reason. He has also not informed me through any official channel. I did some checks through DLD/RDC and found out that there is an active case on RDC and the property is listed as "property is blocked". The case status mentions that the sell transaction is blocked, and Ejari is also blocked (the landlord had been trying to sell for some time) when the case was opened. What are my options given that as a tenant I have no official knowledge of any of these and have every intention to renew my contract?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I am unable to renew my Ejari because my apartment is blocked in the system. The landlord has not been paying service charges to the developer for some time, which is the reason for the blockage. The landlord is in dispute with the developer and is unlikely to settle his dues anytime soon. Consequently, I cannot renew my Ejari until the landlord pays the service charges. Is it possible to renew my Ejari without the landlord settling his dues? Can the landlord increase my rent beyond the RERA rent increase cap, considering I do not have a renewed Ejari? Can the landlord evict me without prior notice? Please note that I had an Ejari from the previous year, but I cannot renew it this year.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord’s appointed management company reached out to me regarding the renewal of the tenancy contract. The building’s management informed me (verbally) that the apartment is blocked in DLD as the owner has pending service charges. I confirmed and saw the apartment blocked in DLD. Should I give my cheques for the new contract before this issue is settled? Will I be able to register the renewed Ejari? What happens if I don’t give the cheques until the case is resolved? Is there any legal issue for me? I don’t want to risk paying money when the contract is not officially registered in DLD.

Q: How long does it take the court to pass a judgment of eviction from an apartment after the 1st hearing?

Q: I'm currently in the process of leasing the property and as part of the standard procedure, we attempted to register the tenancy on the Ejari system. However, we encountered a persistent error message indicating that the property is currently managed by an independent brokerage agency. In an effort to resolve this matter promptly, we reached out to the broker company and were informed that a payment of AED 300 is required to process the Ejari registration. In good faith, we transferred the requested amount to facilitate the registration process. To our surprise, the broker company has since communicated that they have applied for the cancellation of the management contract for the said property and are now requesting to return the AED 300. Despite their assurance of canceling the contract, we are still unable to register the property on the Ejari system. Given the urgency of the situation and the fact that the tenant's move-in date was January 15, 2024, we are seeking legal advice.

Q: We are a general trading company based in Dubai, and we are considering renting a space in the city for a retail point to sell food and beverage products. However, the landlord of the intended retail space is not willing to provide an Ejari contract. We would like to inquire whether, under Dubai law, we can operate a retail business without an Ejari contract for the rented space. Additionally, our company already has an office in Dubai with a registered Ejari contract. Would it be possible to use this existing Ejari contract to obtain the necessary approvals for retail activities in the new rental space?

Q: I had selected an apartment and paid the first cheque also. After paying, I came to know that Ejari is getting delayed because of a block on the property. How can I get the owner to return my money now?

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.