Question: My tenancy contract is due to expire at the end of March and I have notified the landlord of my intention to move out at that time.
My concern is whether I will recover my security deposit and, further, what my legal liabilities could be to the landlord. I have been told these are capped at the deposit amount but this doesn’t seem correct to me.
Our landlord has been unpleasant from the first day of our two-year tenancy. He was supposed to paint, deep clean and fumigate the property before we moved in. However, the fumigation was done a day before we were set to move in and we had to spend a night in a hotel at our own cost because of that. The property had not been cleaned. The agent organised some cleaners the morning we moved in, so the place wasn’t particularly clean.
Then, we noticed the landlord had changed all the appliances to smaller, cheaper versions. This was after telling us he would leave all the appliances in the property, and we sold ours. We had to buy new appliances.
He refused to reimburse us for repairs carried out at our expense, agreeing only to pay for jobs done by his company under his instructions. They have done poor work.
I’m tempted to walk out and not paint or clean the apartment and I’m prepared to lose my deposit. My concern is he could seek more money from us, to fix all the faults the property has developed due to his neglect. CD, Dubai
Answer: The subject of returning the rental deposit is an emotive one and often leads to disputes. When dealing with a rental property, it should always be handed back to the landlord at the end of the tenancy in the same condition as it was given to the tenant at the start of the agreement.
You give a very clear picture of what happened when you moved in but, unless you have concrete evidence of the same, it can be difficult to prove that it wasn’t given to you in the condition expected. Therefore, you will risk losing your deposit if you don’t hand it back painted and cleaned.
In terms of the landlord seeking further compensation above and beyond the value of the deposit held is not very likely in my opinion, mainly due to the cost of filing a case at the civil courts. Having said this, never say never, but at any point, the landlord would need to have a strong case against you, which, presumably you can counterclaim with your photographic evidence.
I suggest you use the remaining months left to try to meet the owner to have a frank conversation and iron out all issues in the past.
Q: I was staying in a tower in Dubai’s Barsha Heights for a year starting September 2022 under an attested tenancy contract.
In August 2023, I wanted to renew my contract but the real estate agency managing the building disappeared. In September 2023, my contract expired, and I continued to live in the apartment with no new contract until February 2024.
I decided to vacate the apartment in February 2024 as there were rumours that everyone in the building was being evicted due to a change in management, and I didn’t want to stay there anymore.
Now, after several months, the real estate agency has sent me a legal notice that I am residing in the building and have to pay the outstanding amount.
Can you please advise on what I must do? Can they ask me to pay if there was no new contract? No ejari was issued after September 2023.
I believe once the contract has expired, I am not bound to pay a single penny after making multiple efforts to reach the agency to try to renew that contract. TB, Dubai
A: A rental contract automatically renews under the same terms and conditions as before, unless otherwise agreed. So, even though you tried to contact the managing agents without success, your contract was in place and, therefore, so is your debt.
I suggest you settle the amount owed, otherwise you could be facing a larger fine on top of what you already owe.
The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario@novviproperties.com
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
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
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
More from Aya Iskandarani
More coverage from the Future Forum
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
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
