My landlord and his rental agent went incommunicado for three years. He has now reached out to me to recover rent for the past three years.
I have been living in the property for six years. The first three years went smoothly, after which there was no communication from either the agent or the landlord.
There was no correspondence for contract renewal, notice to vacate or letters to pay the rent.
What is the maximum time legally permissible for a landlord to recover rent arrears from a tenant? SB, Dubai
While I have heard of similar situations, I have never heard of one that has continued for as long as you experienced. Three years is a long time for any party to a contract to stop communicating.
The first thing to point out is that technically, a contract automatically renews under the same terms and conditions as before if there is no communication to the contrary between the parties.
That said, it is very strange that there has been zero communication from your landlord and/or his agent during this time. In terms of legality, you do have a legitimate contract even if one of the parties was missing during long parts of it.
However, the debt remains. You cannot expect to live in a property free of rent even though this is what happened when the landlord was in absentia. Eventually, the rent will have to be paid back.
Now, it is up to the two of you to agree how this will be paid. It is not reasonable for your landlord to request all the outstanding money to be paid immediately.
A contract automatically renews under the same terms and conditions as before if there is no communication to the contrary between the parties
Mario Volpi,
sales and leasing manager at Engel & Volkers
If you have the funds available, you can transfer the amount owed. I would suggest that you first arrange a face-to-face meeting with the landlord to finalise the payments.
My rental contract in Dubai is about to expire but I want to renew it. My landlord is also keen to renew but is asking for a rent increase.
This is only my second year of living in the property.
Article (9) in Law 26 of 2007 states: “The landlord and tenant must specify [the] rent value in the tenancy contract and should not increase such rent value or amend any tenancy contract conditions until the elapse of two years from [the] date of inception of the original tenancy relationship.”
Does this mean that the rent cannot be increased in the second year of tenancy? MR, Dubai
You are referring to Law 26 of 2007, which governs the relationship between landlords and tenants. Law 33 of 2008 amended some parts of the former law.
This law states that increases in rent are permissible, as long as they are reflected in the Real Estate Regulatory Agency’s rental increase calculator.
In the past, landlords could not increase the rent until after the second year but this is not the case now.
It is important to remember that any changes to a rental contract have to be communicated in writing (email is fine, too) giving 90 days’ notice of the same.
Mario Volpi is the sales and leasing manager at Engel & Volkers. He has worked in the property sector for more than 35 years in London and Dubai. The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario.volpi@engelvoelkers.com
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
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Favorite movie: Braveheart
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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