Q: 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.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, Does the existing tenancy contract between the tenant and the previous owner remain in force even after the new landlord has purchased the property in the middle of an ongoing lease? And when should a new tenancy contract be made? Should it be made immediately after the property has been sold, or at the end of the ongoing tenancy contract signed between the previous owner of the property and the tenant? Also, does a new contract have to be in place for the tenant to exchange the cheques, or does the existing tenancy contract with the previous owner remain valid for the purpose of exchanging the cheques?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I recently purchased a rented property, however, the tenant is not paying rent or responding. There is no registered Ejari with the previous owner.

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.

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.

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.