Questions & Answers
Is the tenant responsible to pay DEWA chiller fees accumulated for three years without knowing?
I have been living in this apartment for 3 years. When I rented it, the agent told me it has a chiller with DEWA. Now the agent told me I need to pay chiller fees for the past 3 years.
The chiller charges are part of the service charge billed to the landlord & they are fixed for every quarter.
The chiller fee is very expensive & approx AED 5600 yearly which is much higher than what I used to pay elsewhere.
My tenancy contract has a standard RERA template which states the tenant should pay all electricity, gas, cooling charges, etc.
However, I have never paid any chiller fees for the last 3 years nor has the agent/landlord mentioned anything.
I checked the contract & my previous conversation with the agent - it was not mentioned anywhere that the apartment chiller is with DEWA. Because of that, the agent is insisting that I have to pay.
Is it legal for them to suddenly force me to pay this amount?
Some said that I am not liable to pay any bills not issued in my name, and some suggested that the bill is too old.
Dear Client,
Thanks for your question, I hope you are doing well. I will definitely assist you in this matter.
If your contract doesn't specifically mention that you are responsible for paying chiller fees, and you haven't been billed for these fees in the past three years, you may have grounds to dispute the sudden request for payment.
It's essential to review your tenancy agreement thoroughly to understand your rights and obligations.
Additionally, you can contact the rental dispute center in the UAE for guidance in resolving this matter.
For any further legal assistance, you can WhatsApp us. We have an extensive team of knowledgeable and experienced lawyers to provide the legal assistance you need.
We will definitely be happy to help you.
Thanks & Regards
ABDUL WAHIED
As per the contract, it's your obligation to pay this fee. But it has not fallen on you for the last 3 years.
Now the best option will be settling with your landlord or the agent because even if you move legally, the evidence will not support you in this scenario.
If you need further clarification we will arrange a legal consultation session for a charge.
If the chiller fees were not explicitly included in the tenancy contract when you signed it, you may have a case for arguing that you are not responsible for paying them.
Additionally, if you were never informed that the apartment was chilled with DEWA, you may be able to argue that you were misled and that you should not be held responsible for the chiller fees.
