I live in an apartment in Dubai on a one-year contract, which is set to expire in December. However, I have lost my job due to coronavirus and my employment visa has already expired. I need to move out of the apartment this month as the rent is paid until June 30. I gave my landlord a vacation notification but I heard they will ask for two months' rent as a penalty. What should I do? I can't pay two months' rent as a fine. SK, Dubai
Any situation of hardship during this difficult period is regrettable but my first piece of advice is to check your contract thoroughly. If your contract allows you to break the agreement for whatever reason, there is normally a compensation to the landlord for doing so.
It appears from your email that the landlord is now exercising his rights to compensation for you breaking the contract. The fact you need to move out through no fault of your own is of no consequence to the landlord. It is common in today’s rental agreements to have a break clause but also to allow for a penalty to go to the landlord too.
Having said all of this, I can sympathise with you that money is now tight, so to try to mitigate your losses, you need to meet up with the landlord to come to some sort of arrangement. Perhaps if you can find another tenant to take over your contract, the landlord may be more accommodating about the penalty. Either way the landlord has every right to claim this sum. There really isn’t anything else you can do other than to try to tap into the compassionate side of the landlord and this might only be done if he is willing, flexible and understanding.
I am landlord of a villa and recently rented the property to a tenant a few weeks ago. I have now decided to occupy the property for my own personal use and I do not have any other place to live. I understand under Dubai law I must give the tenant a 12-month notice to vacate via notary public. Am I legally permitted to give this notice during the first year of tenancy, or am I required to wait until expiry of the initial one-year lease and serve the notice upon renewal of the lease for a second year? AA, Dubai
A landlord is not permitted to serve a vacating notice on the tenant in the first year of the tenancy. If you wish to take possession of the villa for your own use or use of next of kin of first degree, you must send the 12-month vacating notice upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The notice must be sent via notary public or registered mail. In reality, most notary public offices also send the notice via registered mail too.
You will then be able to take possession of the villa at the end of the second year term. It is important to note that the burden of proof is on the landlord to also prove that you do not own other suitable properties that could be used instead of the subject villa.
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
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HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Read more about the coronavirus
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
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
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
The five pillars of Islam
The years Ramadan fell in May
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
