Question: We rent a new furnished apartment in Dubai. Most residents are coming to the end of their first annual contract and have been informed of a 10 per cent to 15 per cent rent increase.
However, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency calculator for the area states that no rental increase is permitted.
The developer claims that because the units are furnished, the Rera index does not apply.
But the units are regular apartments with standard lease contracts, Ejari and deposit.
Is this interpretation of the rental laws correct, or are we within our rights to refuse the rental increase? TB, Dubai
Answer: It is true that the Rera rental calculator does not take into consideration whether a unit is furnished or unfurnished. However, what the landlord is saying is not correct.
Therefore, to try to get to some common ground, I suggest the landlord uses the Dubai Land Department rental valuation service.
This will then go some way in readdressing the discrepancy in rent, despite what the rent calculator says.
Once this has been done, Decree 43 of 2013 will take over and this will decide the actual amount the landlord can ask for at the next renewal.
It is important to note that the amount cannot be more than a 20 per cent increase in any one year.
However, if after all this, you still do not agree with the increase, you are at liberty to contest it through the Rent Dispute Settlement Committee and let the presiding judge of the day settle the difference of opinions.
This will cost you 3.5 per cent of the current rental amount. If you win the judgment, the costs are often added to the claim.
Q: I own studio apartments in Dubai. I understand that the service fee we pay also covers the building and unit insurance.
Do owners still need to take out separate building insurance for their apartments? I know content insurance is the tenant’s responsibility. AP, Dubai
A: If you have building insurance covered as part of the service charges and you have written proof of the same, then you do not need any additional building insurance.
Check the policy to see exactly what is covered under the terms and conditions of the policy.
If it isn’t as comprehensive as you would wish it to be, you can then have a conversation with the managing company or owner’s association to rectify the situation.
Q: We have lived in a compound in Dubai for 12 years. A neighbour moved in nearly two years ago.
Although there were no issues in the first year, he annexed the entire section of common property for his personal use.
The common property is a shared portion of ground abutting both our outdoor terraces.
The management decided to split the area, with this person still being afforded the right of personal use and our section to remain as common property.
We endured months of harassment, with the tenant shaking our gate, their light bulbs glaring through our lounge windows until 1am, and their furniture and barbecue piled up in front of our house.
We called the police and were even forced to install a high fence.
Watch: Property prices in the UAE are so high you need a helicopter to visit
In December 2023, the tenant said he wanted to erect a 1-metre-tall fence. The management refused and asked him to adhere to his boundary.
The tenant refused to accept this and has repeatedly requested more space from the management.
I wrote to the Dubai Land Department last week and got an unsigned response to approach a lawyer.
We feel our right to the peaceful enjoyment of our property with an unobstructed view has been disrupted for more than a year. CK, Dubai
A: Your only recourse would be to take the neighbour to court, especially if the management company has not intervened up to this point and the police cannot deal with it due to it being a nuisance case rather than breaking the law.
I advise you to consult a lawyer and file a civil case. You clearly have enough evidence to hopefully win compensation or satisfaction over this stressful time.
I’m dumbfounded that the managing company cannot deal with tenants in a fair manner that takes all considerations to hand.
Mario Volpi 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 mariovolpi64@gmail.com
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
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'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
