Q: Hi everyone, I rent an apartment. After two days in the apartment, water started leaking from the ceiling. It turned out to be a fault in the building's construction, which caused condensation in the false ceilings. When the panels were demolished, it was found that they were all full of mold. The building manager has started work, but the apartment is no longer habitable. Should the landlord compensate me for the lack of peaceful enjoyment of the property?

Q: What are my options to take legal action against my apartment building for not fixing the constant issues that I am facing in my bathroom? For over 2 months now, I have been fighting with them to get more hot water and to stop leaks in my bathroom that are caused by a bad water heater. The building management has not been able to fix these issues and is now telling me to find my own technician and pay for another water heater. I know this is illegal. Please help!

Q: I live in a 4 bedroom apartment in Deira/Dubai. 3 out of the 4 bedrooms have sewage leakage problem somewhere in the ceiling and the smell is horrible. The landlord refuses to fix the problem even though my tenancy contract clearly states that he must fix on his expense. To make the story short, After filing for a case against him at the RDC, It all went down to the police station where he refused to sign a paper that states his willingness to fix. Next, a Dubai Municipality official visited the apartment and submitted a report to the Land Department confirming that the apartment smells very bad. All meanwhile I refused to pay any rent to pressure this landlord to fix. So now 4 months have passed and the accumulated rent has built up to above AED 100,000. The landlord has filed a case to claim the rental amount. What to do? And how can he file a case against me at the RDC without the RDC asking him to fix the apartment first?! Can I refuse to pay this landlord? I think it is unfair to pay!

Q: Hello, I need advice on claiming damages from a tenant who left my commercial premises in poor condition (e.g., damaged flooring, broken fixtures, broken partitions, and holes in the wall). What steps should I take to document the damage? How can I recover the costs, and do I need to file an RDC case? Can I withhold the security deposit, as the damages exceed the deposit amount?

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 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.

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.

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.