Q: I am a property owner in Dubai. A tenant has been living in my property from 2016 until Sept 2020. This year, due to the concessions by Dubai government, the tenant started excuses saying he won't pay his rental commitment & has bounced two of his rental cheques. During the eviction process, I came to know that there is also a Trakhees violation by the tenant in 2017 due to overcrowding for which I have taken a guarantee cheque & deposited in the bank which has bounced, as usual. The tenant claims there is no way he can be apprehended, thanks to the UAE/Dubai govt leniency towards the cheque bounce defaulters, & neither will he pay the amount. Please advise as I wish to file a case against him & also I am not a resident in the UAE.

Q: This is the second time a cheque of my tenant is not honored for rent payment. My relationship with him is not good. Can I evict him? I need my property back. What is the best way to get it back?

Q: Hi, Our tenant has been violating the terms of the contract right from the beginning by: a) Not transferring one utility connection under his name causing us to continue incurring charges, b) Keeping a pet which is against community rules. We have repeatedly received complaints from neighbors and building management regarding the disturbance caused by his pet. We have issued the tenant numerous warnings but all in vain. At the end of one year contract, we negotiated and the tenant agreed to vacate after 3 months (signed 3 months contract). Now after the end of 3 months tenure, he is not vacating and we are not willing to renew the contract considering the distress he has caused us and the neighbors by going against the terms of the contract. What is the legal recourse to evict him? We understand that the first step is to send 30 days' legal notice but what beyond that? Also, how to recover the cost of over-stay as the deposit would not be sufficient to even cover the utility expenses? We are not based in Dubai.

Q: I have a property to rent in Dubai and found someone to rent it. He paid the deposit and both parties signed contracts. The move-in date was the 12 September and he stated that he would pay the three cheques on the 12 September by 2.00 pm. No payment arrived on 12 September so we are planning to pull out. He did send a picture of 2 cheques and offered to make a payment late last night online for the first payment. No Ejari was registered as yet Can I pull out as the cheques were not delivered as agreed even though he offered late last night to pay the first installment online? The last online payment he made took 3 days to arrive in the account. I want to legally pull out. How do I do this and can I do it without any penalty? Does he lose his deposit and can he make a claim against me? If so, what does his legal action look like, i.e. what can he do? Regards

Q: I have defaulted on my rent cheques twice with my landlord in Dubai, each for AED 16,250 (totaling AED 32,500). I have already paid AED 6,000, leaving an outstanding balance of AED 26,500. However, including penalties and fines, the total amount now stands at approximately AED 43,000. I have a hearing scheduled with the Land Department on the 13th of May. My questions are: How can I negotiate with my landlord? Is there a possibility of a travel ban at this stage?

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.

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

With the introduction of the new procedures for obtaining a power of attorney (POA) remotely in the UAE, after it was mandatory to appear in person in front of the notary public as a global rule to ensure the identity and intention of the person requesting a POA, we put between your hands this brief guide for how you get it done.

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 Decree by Law amend the Federal Law No. (18) of 1993 by replacing Clause (4) of Article (379) as well as Articles (600), (617), (641), (642), (643), (644), and adding new articles numbered (635) Bis, (641) Bis (1), (641) Bis (2), (641) Bis (3), (641) Bis (4), (643) Bis (1), (643) Bis (2), (644) Bis (1) and (644) Bis (2). The Decree-Law also repeals Articles (401), (402) and (403) of the Federal Law No. (3) of 1987.