How to arrange a property lease
Most expats in the UAE rent apartments. The relationship between the tenant and the landlord is strictly regulated: the rights of both parties are protected by law, as well as through a unified rental system. In this article, we have analyzed the key points of renting real estate in Dubai.
Legislation
- The Law Regulating Relationships between Landlords and Tenants No. 26 of 2007 года %20of%202007%20Regulating%20Relation%20Between%20Lessors%20and%20Lessee.pdf).
- In 2008, Law No. 33 was additionally adopted, which contains amendments to some articles of Law No. 26.
Rent
- The rent can only be increased after two years from the date of the contract.
- However, an increase is only possible by the amount set by RERA (Dubai Ministry of Real Estate).
“To calculate the increase in the rental cost, the parties can use a special online calculator on the Dubai Land Department (DLD) website. The DLD has also released a special DUBAI REST Application, which has a calculator available. To use the service, you need to select the type of property and enter all the necessary data (district, area of the premises, number of rooms, etc.) into the proposed form. After that, the calculator will calculate the amount by which the rental cost can be increased.” Alexey Romanov, юрист
Change of property owner
If the owner of the property changes, this does not affect the tenant's right to remain in the apartment until the end of the period specified in the agreement with the previous landlord.
Auto-renewal
At the end of the contract, it is automatically renewed for the same period or for a year if the tenant continues to live in the premises and the landlord does not object. The lease terms remain the same with automatic renewal.
Repairs and other work in the premises
The tenant is obliged to request official permission from the landlord for repairs and other work on the premises.
Early termination of contract
It is practically impossible to terminate a contract early without objective reasons and the consent of the other party.
Amendments to the contract
If one of the parties wants to make changes to the contract, it must notify the other party at least three months before the end of the current contract (for example, an increase in rent)
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