Question: I have been renting a villa for 15 years. I always pay the rent with an annual increase or decrease according to the market value and in mutual agreement with the management office.
I also pay a small annual administration fee for the Ejari registration.
Recently, the landlord changed management offices and the new agency wants to charge a management fee of 5 per cent for contract renewal.
It informed me of this 90 days before the expiry of the contract.
My original tenancy contract, which has been renewed year after year, had no mention of a management fee.
The 5 per cent management fee and the 10 per cent rent increase according to the Real Estate Regulatory Agency effectively add up to a 15 per cent increase to my annual cost of living.
I have tried talking to the agency, but they insist on charging this fee.
Is the new management office allowed to introduce a fee into the contract after so many years?
Wouldn’t that be considered as a one-sided change of terms in the tenancy agreement?
And if it is not allowed to do so, how can I convince or prove that it can't do this?
I am not keen on filing a case with the Rent Dispute Settlement Committee as this will also cost a considerable amount of money. MW, Dubai
Answer: For what reason has this new management fee of 5 per cent been levied? If it is an administration cost to prepare the contract, then I can understand that a set fee of perhaps Dh1,000 or Dh1,500 plus value added tax would be a reasonable sum, but 5 per cent is excessive.
The management company needs to justify this cost to you and then you can decide whether you wish to continue to pay this fee or not.
You say that you would not like to go to the RDSC as this will cost too much.
Unfortunately, if you don’t get a judgment in your favour, the 5 per cent that the management company is requesting will continue to be charged.
So, I believe that the 3.5 per cent fee that is required to file a case is money well spent, especially if the judge finds in your favour.
When a change to a contract is put forward, irrespective of whether 90 days’ notice has been given, there needs to be agreement on both sides to the changes and if there is not, the only way to resolve the issue is to file a case at the RDSC.
Q: The Rera rent calculator index has not been updated. The rents reflected show data that is two years old.
Because of this, landlords like me cannot increase rent. The rental valuation certificate allows only for a maximum increase of 20 per cent for existing tenants.
I understand that tenants need to be protected but if they are very rigid based on an outdated Rera rental index, how can landlords deal with it?
I am sure there are many small-time investors like me caught in a similar situation. MC, Dubai
A: It is true that the rental market appears to be stacked in favour of the tenant, but this stance is replicated all over the world.
I suppose it has to be this way, otherwise the alternative would be anarchy, allowing landlords to set their own rates. This will not be good for the long-term view of any rental market.
The balance may have been adjusted towards a more level basis by the introduction of the Dubai Land Department’s valuation service, which can help landlords in certain situations.
The Rera rental calculator used to be updated quarterly and then it went to being updated once a year.
The DLD has been working on rating buildings to give a more accurate assessment for both residential and commercial properties.
This is a colossal task and one that will take time but once implemented, it will bring about a fairer assessment of rental values, taking into consideration facilities, quality of materials used, views and property sizes.
In the meantime, be safe in the knowledge that despite existing rental values not necessarily keeping up with vacant unit rental values, the Dubai property market has performed extremely well since the Covid-19 pandemic, so there is some consolation regarding capital appreciation.
Therefore, your small investment will have gained in value, which will be somewhat of a cushion to the dilemma you and many landlords face.
Mario Volpi is the sales director at AX Capital. He has worked in the property sector for 40 years in London and Dubai. The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to m.volpi@axcapital.ae
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Hales' batting career
Tests 11; Runs 573; 100s 0; 50s 5; Avg 27.38; Best 94
ODIs 58; Runs 1,957; 100s 5; 50s 11; Avg 36.24; Best 171
T20s 52; Runs 1,456; 100s 1; 50s 7; Avg 31.65; Best 116 not out
The five pillars of Islam
