Question: My tenancy contract is up for renewal in December. I received an email from my landlord that my annual rent would be increased.
At this stage, I don’t know by what percentage the rent will be increased.
After I come to know the new rent, can I inform the landlord of my decision to not renew the lease if I find it unaffordable?
Is there a specific time frame by which a tenant should inform the landlord if they do not wish to renew? If it’s too late, will the tenant be asked to pay a fine? How much will that be? ND, Dubai
Answer: Firstly, any changes to a rental contract must be communicated in writing (email is fine). Most importantly, the communication of the changes must be within 90 days of the renewal date and in case of changes to any rent increase, it has to be in line with what the Dubai Land Department rental index states is allowed.
If your landlord has missed this window, legally speaking, he/she cannot make any changes, including the increase in rent, even if the calculator states an increase is allowed.
When it comes to informing the landlord that you do not wish to renew, again there are some legalities. Technically speaking, it is advisable to let the landlord know well in advance should a tenant not wish to renew.
Having said this, Law 33 of 2008 amended some parts of the landlord and tenant law (Law 26 of 2007) and one of the alterations was the need to inform the landlord at all.
This is a debatable change because technically speaking a rental contract does have a start and end date, so if you don’t wish to renew, legally you do not need to inform your landlord.
But in reality, this doesn’t work, so my advice is to always let your landlord know well in advance if you do not wish to renew.
Q: My daughter received an eviction notice last October partway through her tenancy contract, which ran until March this year.
In March, she renewed her contract for a further seven months, so it will end this month, exactly 12 months from the date on the eviction notice. The notice was served by a notary.
Is this the correct eviction procedure? PB, Dubai
A: In the past, the 12-month eviction notices were served upon expiry of the existing tenancy agreement, thus giving one more year to the tenant before having to vacate.
In recent years, the judges at the Rent Dispute Settlement Committee have allowed these 12-month notices to be served at any time, so it would appear that in your daughter’s case, the eviction notice was served correctly.
Q: I have reached an agreement on lease renewal with my landlord after filing an offer and deposit case with the DLD.
However, I noticed a new clause in the new contract, which states: “The tenancy contract is non-renewable. Only written notice of 90 days is required from both parties to make a new contract as per market rate or to vacate the apartment. No legal notice needs to be served by the landlord. In case of legal proceedings by the tenant, all the expenditures by the landlord will be the tenant’s responsibility.”
Can the landlord use this clause to amend or ignore the Real Estate Regulatory Authority’s rules and regulations once the contract is signed? CL, Dubai
A: A tenancy contract (as per the law) is always renewable unless otherwise agreed. So, if you go on to sign with this clause added and you no longer or had ever agreed to its inclusion, you will have to contest it at a later stage or better do it now.
Ninety days are required for any changes to the existing contract. In the case of eviction, your landlord would need to inform you through notary public or registered mail about the reason for the eviction.
It is only up to the judge of the day at the rent committee (should you file a case) to decide who is responsible for any legal costs.
Mario Volpi is head of brokerage at Novvi Properties and 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 mario@novviproperties.com
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The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
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The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
