I lost my job and plan to leave Abu Dhabi in the next six weeks. The contract on my apartment runs until July 19. Do I have to pay the full amount before I go or do you think the landlord will be lenient? How can I walk away with the best deal in this situation? WM, Abu Dhabi
If there is no break clause in your contract, unfortunately you will be liable to fulfill your agreement to its term. If you have decided to leave the UAE altogether, your only redress is to meet with the landlord and explain your situation. Some landlords will allow tenants to break the contract but only after paying a form of compensation, for example, two months' rent as a penalty. Alternatively, they may ask you to find another suitable tenant to take over the agreement. This way, the landlord has continuity of tenure and will not be out of pocket. It is important to know that either way the onus would be on you to find a suitable solution for all.
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Read more from Mario Volpi:
Homefront: Can I use a power of attorney to sell my Abu Dhabi apartment?
Homefront: Can a developer fine me for late payment a year after handover?
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My landlord is refusing to refund our deposit. We looked after the apartment, managed all the maintenance ourselves and paid the full year upfront. The house is in perfect condition, so initially the landlord promised to refund us within a month. But now he is blocking our calls and we cannot get hold of him. We are owed Dh5,400. What action should we take to get the money returned? HN, Dubai
Under normal circumstances, I would always suggest a period of reconciliation by organising a face-to-face meeting with the landlord to agree on the timing of the return of the deposit. In your case, if the landlord is now ignoring your calls, I suggest you go straight away to file a case at the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre. The cost of opening up a file at the RDSC is 3.5 per cent of the annual rent, so you have to weigh up the economical aspect of doing so against the value of the deposit. That’s not to say you should just forget about the money because this sends out the wrong message, but time and effort does cost so bear all this in mind when deciding to go forward
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Read more from Mario Volpi
Homefront: Who is responsible for a smashed window - the landlord or the tenant?
Homefront: How do I tackle my Abu Dhabi neighbour's noisy parties?
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My bath was damaged by some maintenance men working on a broken water heater. They dropped a tool and left a huge hole in the bath but despite attempting to repair it a few times, the damage is still there. I am moving out of my villa soon and do not want to be stung on the rental deposit. Should I tell the landlady and get her to resolve the issue with maintenance company, as it is the company she uses for all repairs? BL, Dubai
This is an unfortunate incident and I would definitely involve the landlord at the earliest opportunity. You clearly were not responsible for the damage, however you ought to (at the very least) offer assistance where possible. I suggest contacting the landlady and explaining what occurred. Then find out if she has any form of insurance that could cover such a situation.
If she doesn’t, then the maintenance company must have company liability insurance as I’m sure this type of accident has occurred before so should be able to organise replacement of the bath if the repair was not sufficient.
I would hope that the landlord would be sympathetic, given the damage was caused by her preferred maintenance company.
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
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
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
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends
Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!
Favourite country to visit: Italy
Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Family: We all have one!
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
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THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
