Q: Dear Sir/Madam, In terms of sending notice to tenants to vacate an apartment, as a landlord, we need to send a 12-month notice with the reason being either: - Wanting to move in ourselves (or our family members). - Selling the unit But what if, as landlords, after evacuation and a few days of evaluating the market or finding no customers to buy our property, we change our minds and want to rent the apartment again to someone else? Is this against the law? What if, for any reason, the landlord changes his/her mind to sell the apartment after evacuation? What do the regulations say?

Q: Dear Lawyers, I have received an eviction notice from my landlord to vacate the property for his personal use. Then, in August 2024, he communicated with me via WhatsApp and email that he wants to sell the property. I met with him to find a solution, and he said that if I raise the rent, he will let me stay and renew. However, the price he is asking for is not justified, and according to the RERA index, no rent increase should be applied. To resolve this issue, I offered a 10% increase, but he refused. Am I eligible for renewal at the same rate I am currently paying?

Q: My rent contract ends on 9/8/2024. I contacted the landlord for renewal and he asked to increase the rent. He didn’t send any notice for an increase before 90 days, so I declined the requested increase. He called and said I should accept the increase or I have to leave. One day later, yesterday, he sent me (email) a notice to evict the apartment for selling, and he wrote he would provide a partial contract until 28 May 2025. Since I asked before in an email to share a copy of his EID, he used the same email subject to share the eviction notice. Can he do that before the contract renewal? He was willing to renew with higher rent and when I refused, he came with an eviction notice. What if pretends to sell it but doesn’t sell (shifts the ownership to wife)? How to check if it's sold? Can he send the eviction notice through email or should be through registered mail? If emails are accepted, can he send them under another email subject (subject used: a copy of EID or passport)? What should I do next? Thanks

Q: Hello, Our landlord has provided us with a renewed contract. We issued cheques and signed the contract, but now he suddenly refuses to sign because he wants to sell. What can we do?

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.

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 determines the maximum percentage of rent increase for real property in the Emirate of Dubai when renewing lease contracts.