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: 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, We are in the process of setting up our company in the UAE. We have found a warehouse that fits our requirements and we have paid the security deposit and the agency fees. We would like to confirm some points before signing the contract: - Notice period: The owner said that we should inform him one month in advance if we want to leave and exit the contract. Is there a clause in the DREC contract that states this? Are there any penalty fees? How can we avoid any problems with this? - No Objection Certificate (NOC): The owner promised to give us an NOC after the contract is signed to allow us to upgrade the power and install air conditioning. How can we make sure that this happens? Should we have him include this in the contract terms? In general, can we trust their promises or should we get a letter before signing the contract? Note that they are refusing to give us an NOC and we have been told that we took too long to finalize the contract. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, Is a tenancy contract without Ejari valid? If so, why is the RDC not accepting our case for eviction and suggesting that we go through the Civil Court? What is the tentative timeline to obtain a final verdict on eviction through the civil court?

Q: Dear Lawyers, My apartment lease contract in Ajman ends on 09-Dec-2024. The landlord has served me a notice through the Ministry of Justice, stating their unwillingness to renew the contract and requesting that I vacate the property at the end of the lease.

Q: Hello, My question is regarding Ejari. What is its purpose? In case of a disagreement over vacating or rent payments, how does it affect the landlord and the tenant? Thanks!

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.