Explained: How are rental disputes processed in Dubai? gulfnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gulfnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Dubai: If you have an understanding, in writing, with your landlord on a freeze on rent, what can you do if the landlord nevertheless decides to increase the rent? A Gulf News reader wrote in asking this question.
He said: “I would like to seek Gulf News’ help to report about an issue – I had an understanding with my landlord in writing last year that if I decided to renew my contract for this year, I would be paying Dh152,000 as rent. This year, I prepared the cheques 10 days prior to renewal but the landlord rejected them. He said that he had changed his mind and the rent would now be Dh170,000 for this year, and Dh165,000 for the year after that, and Dh160,000 for the following year. Can you report on this matter to make landlords understand that this is unfair?”
Dubai dissolves special tribunal for settling disputes with home lenders issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com Filed on May 17, 2021
The new decree annuls Decree No. (61) of 2009 and any other legislation that contradicts or challenges its articles. The decree is active from its date of issuance and will be published in the official gazette. File photo
The special tribunal was formed in 2009 after the global financial crisis over a decade ago to settle disputes related to mortgage firms Amlak Finance and Tamweel.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, in his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, on Monday dissolved by decree a special tribunal for settling disputes with real estate lenders.
I politely declined, citing tenancy laws regarding contract amendments only with a 90-day notice and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency calculator regulating rent increases.
As per the Rera calculator, my landlord is allowed to increase rent by only Dh5,500 upon renewal and if the notification is served 90 days before contract expiry.
I am willing to pay the higher rent as per the Rera calculator, however she refused to negotiate below Dh145,000.
A week later, my landlord said she could not serve the 90-day notice for a rent increase because she contracted Covid-19. That is no excuse because I contracted Covid-19, too. She could have asked for a rent increase well before time. I refused her demand.