Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord wants to evict me from the property where I reside. They have not provided a court order for eviction within the past 12 months. Additionally, they are requesting a 40% increase in rent and are insisting on a 6-month fixed-term renewal, despite the RERA index indicating no such increase. Furthermore, they have included an unreasonable clause that prohibits pets, even though I have lived on the property with a pet for over three years.  What options do I have if I do not agree to these demands?

Q: I am a tenant in a villa. The landlord wants to sell the property to a new owner who wants to move in. My rental agreement is till August 15, which means my 90-day increase notice is due on May 15. Three parts to this question: 1. If the current owner serves me a 12-month notice, can the new owners still increase my rent? 2. If the current owner doesn't accept my counter-offer for the rental increase that he served before the notice (My offer is in line with the RERA calculations, but his is not), can he legally increase my rent if I get an eviction notice? 3. Is my eviction notice still valid if the sale of the property goes through? Or must the new owner serve me a new notice? Thanks in advance

Q: Hello, I have the impression that my owner will send me an eviction notice of 12 months if I do not accept to pay the rent increase he is asking for. The rent increase is not allowed as the rental index is less than what I am currently paying. In that case, it means I will need to move from the flat in 12 months. Is it right? In this case, he cannot re-rent his flat within 2 years, right? Many thanks!

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I want to send a 12-month eviction notice to my tenant through the notary public for the non-renewal of the tenancy contract. What does notice must be documented “justly” mean in the context of an eviction notice?

Q: Dear Questioner, Abusing tenant trust for fake eviction! We are based in Dubai and have had a good three-year relationship with our landlord, who is in Abu Dhabi. The building had a lot of maintenance issues, and I always kept him informed about the increasing problems. Six months before the contract expiry date, the landlord visited us and said: "I have decided to return to Dubai with my family. Thanks to our relationship since 2020 and the problems you're facing in the building, I assume this is okay for you. I don't want to send a legal notice. Can you please send me an email for eviction?" As we knew the family and trusted them, we accepted their request. However, after moving out, I saw that he was renting the house for a higher rent! Is it worth initiating a legal case, as he lied to us? By chance, in my email to him, I mentioned that "we are leaving as you told us that you're moving into your house," and he responded positively. The emails were through the registered mail addresses. Thanks in advance for your guidance!

Q: After the expiry of the contract, the landlord sent us a notarized notice asking us to evacuate the apartment within one month from date of receiving the notice stating because we have a pet in the apartment as we are breaching our tenancy agreement. It is pertinent to note that our pet has been a part of our household for over 2 years, and the landlord staff are aware of this fact. It is further worth noting that the presence of pets in the building has been a prevailing and recognized circumstance since 2018. The building's has CCTV to confirm the long-standing presence of pets in the building since 2018. Additionally, I recall that notices were posted in the past near the elevator, explicitly instructing pet owners to use the stairs rather than the elevator, which demonstrates the building management's acknowledgment and accommodation of pets. They have also renewed leases for three other pet owners, reinforcing the building's established acceptance of pets. Please advise.

Q: As'salaam Alaikum, Good Morning! I live in Dubai and have rented an apartment since November 14, 2022, which I renewed on November 13, 2023, for a year at an amount of 41,800 AED (4 cheques). Three to four months ago, the owner sold the apartment to a new person, and I had to change 2 payment cheques to the name of the new owner, one of which has already been encashed. Now, as the renewal date (November 13) approaches, the new owner is asking for a rent increase of 5,000 AED. I live in Dubai Silicon Oasis, and according to the RERA rental index, the maximum rent increase is 2,090 AED, which I informed the new owner. However, the new owner insists that, according to RERA, they can increase the rent by 5,000 AED. I have researched extensively but found no information indicating that a new owner can increase the rent by this amount. Could you please clarify if the new owner can increase the rent by 5,000 AED? How should I proceed if the new owner goes against RERA guidelines?

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.

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 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.

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