Questions & Answers
What to do with the landlord if he refuses to do maintenance for the apartment before renewal?
I am posting this to seek your advice on a matter regarding the rental dispute. The scenario is as follows;
I selected an apartment to rent in Sharjah. The apartment was in bad condition with termites on door frames, a bathtub that needed to be replaced and other minor fixings to be done.
The agent assured me to fix all the issues so I handed him over the 3 rent cheques, 1 cash installment, and a deposit of Dhs. 2000.00 (I have the receipts for cash payments).
This all happened on 26.12.2023 and he promised me to fix the property by the 1st of January and the contract shall be made for 15.01.2024.
Now today is 11.01.2024 when I am writing this email to you and nothing has been done yet other than false promises of fixing it all in 2 days.
The contract date mentioned is 15.01.2024 but I have not yet received it physically.
Now my question is, can you advise what are my options?
Any help regarding this will be much appreciated.
Dear Questioner,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Regarding the above, we would like to inform you that, it seems that the agent has not fulfilled their promises to fix the apartment and provide you with a rental contract. In this case, you have the following options:
1. Contact the agent and request for the apartment to be fixed and for the rental contract to be provided as soon as possible. You can also mention that you will take legal action if the issues are not resolved within a specific timeframe.
2. If the agent does not respond or fails to fulfill their promise, you can file a complaint with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) in Sharjah.
RERA is responsible for regulating the real estate sector in Sharjah and they have a Rental Dispute Settlement Center that handles rental disputes between landlords and tenants.
3. You can also consider terminating the contract and requesting a refund of the rent and deposit paid.
However, this may be subject to the terms and conditions of the contract and you may need to seek legal advice before taking this step.
It is important to note that in the UAE, rental contracts must be registered with the Ejari system. If the agent has not provided you with a registered contract, they may be in violation of the law.
You can check the status of your contract on the Ejari website (https://ejari.ae/).
In any case, it is advisable to seek legal advice from a lawyer who specializes in real estate and rental disputes. They will be able to guide you on the best course of action based on.
Please feel free to contact us by email or on WhatsApp.
Regards,
You can either negotiate with them or approach the Sharjah Rental Dispute Centre with sufficient documents like payment receipt for compensation or withdraw the contract and ask him to return the cheque.
If the cheque is not returned, file a complaint before the police and respective authorities.
Dear Client,
Thanks for your question, I hope you are doing well. I will definitely assist you in this matter.
Since the agent hasn't fulfilled their promises of fixing the apartment and providing the lease contract as agreed, take the following steps:
Contact the agent, request a written agreement with repair timelines, discuss compensation for the delay, ensure you have all payment receipts, and consult with us if the agent doesn't cooperate.
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
