We rented a villa in Dubai for eight years and the contract ended on May 2018. We handed over the property to the landlord's representative in a neat / clean condition. The representative took the keys from us, checked the villa and signed the handing over document. After we received clearance from Dewa and du, we asked the landlord for the refund of our security deposit. Last month, we were told by the landlord's office that the villa needed to be repainted inside and outside. They sent us the cost, which is more than three times the value of our security deposit. Please note that the villa was only painted once (interior only) by the landlord when we moved in. The villa is now up for sale, which is the reason why the landlord did not want to renew our contract. So, who is responsible for this painting of the whole villa now that we have moved out - us or the landlord? Surely this falls under wear and tear? JD, Dubai
It is common practice to return a property in the exact same condition it was given to you at the start of your tenancy agreement, therefore if it was painted and cleaned when you moved in, this is how you should return it. Equally, if the property was not handed over newly painted nor cleaned, then a tenant does not have to give it back with these works done. You are right that in some contracts it does state fair wear and tear is allowed but this statement is open to different opinions. What you might believe is fair wear and tear can mean something totally different to a landlord and for this reason this clause cannot be relied upon. It is your responsibility, therefore, to repaint the property inside only and in the same colour it was before, irrespective that you have now moved out.
I am however a bit suspicious of the landlord demanding over and above the estimates including external painting and would question why he has waited over four months before informing you that this is the reason for not returning your deposit. I suggest you organise a face-to-face meeting with the landlord and explain you will carry out what is expected of you but that he must return the deposit immediately once you have done this. Otherwise you will have no alternative but to go and file a case at the Rent Dispute Settlement Committee in Deira.
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I am staying in my apartment for another year and have signed my contract with a reputable real estate agency registered with the Dubai Land Department. It also has a power of attorney to operate on my landlord's behalf. While registering the tenancy contract for Ejari, I was informed that the landlord also needs to sign the contract. However, my broker managed to get me an Ejari Certificate with all the correct dates etc with contract signed by the real estate agency. My Dewa bill is still registered in my name. I paid the cheque (one payment) to the real estate agency, exactly as I did last year. Now we come to the problem. Another real estate agent recently approached me, claiming that the owner is not represented by that other agent anymore and that the owner is not being paid the rent. The person has an original signed title deeds document as proof. We are now a bit distressed as we do not know what is going on. We have all the documents - the Ejari, contract, Dewa bill, title deeds copy, passports, proof of payment etc. How should we proceed from here. We don't want to be kicked out and then not see our money again. SB, Dubai
It appears you are caught up in the middle of a situation that is not of your doing but don't panic. Firstly, do you have actual access to the landlord? If so, get in touch to explain your side of this story; if not, seek a meeting with the agency you have paid to garner their assurance that whatever is going on is not going to affect your tenancy, as this issue is clearly between the landlord and the agency. For now, it would appear that you have a valid Ejari, therefore you are protected. For any verification, you need to see up-to-date evidence of who is now representing the landlord. If necessary, you may have to collect the cheque, should it be proved that the landlord has indeed switched power of attorney. Communication is the key, so for peace of mind you, will need to get involved.
Mario Volpi is the sales and leasing manager at Engel & Volkers. He has worked in the property sector for 34 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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Results:
Women:
1. Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) 322.95 points
2. Lysanne Richard (CAN) 285.75
3. Ellie Smart (USA) 277.70
Men:
1. Gary Hunt (GBR) 431.55
2. Constantin Popovici (ROU) 424.65
3. Oleksiy Prygorov (UKR) 392.30
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
The Disaster Artist
Director: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan
Four stars
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Company%C2%A0profile
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The details
Colette
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West
Our take: 3/5
