Tenants not at fault
I’ve just finished reading your story about disgruntled landlords and how the realty laws are not favourable to them. I must say I was appalled and terribly upset at the way this was portrayed in the article. You have failed to raise a very important point: these landlords are just investors wanting to maximise profits from their investment. The tenants on the other hand, are always at risk of losing their homes. I’ll say that again: their homes. Where they build their lives. Their habits. Their memories. Those tenants are not responsible for the fluctuation in the rental market. And they certainly do not have salaries which increase the way rents do.
To insinuate in any way that establishing a structure (rent increase calculator, rental cap) to protect the tenants and allow them to be able to live in the same place more than a year before being evicted is unfair to the landlords, is absolutely undignified.
I’d like to point out that most landlords today have certainly struck rental deals that allow them to make profits on their investment. Most of them bought properties years back when the prices were much lower than they are today. And the whole complaining we hear from them is not attracting sympathies because of two things:
They are driven by greed. Rent amounts today do not put their livelihood at risk or in a precarious state. The tenants’ lives are being turned upside down by being driven to move, not being able to find decent, affordable apartments.
Their lives are made more precarious by the greed of investors. I have now in my entourage six households, including my own, that are stuck in a legal dispute with their landlords.
In my case I had spent less than a year in my apartment when my landlord tried to convince me to leave. I had to ask for legal counsel and help. I, as most tenants today, need to work. The amount of time being harassed or fighting with the landlord, time needed to go to RERA and the Land Dispute Committee is absolutely not acceptable. Having a lawyer help you out is also costly.
My apartment was higher than market price when I rented it. A year later, the market value soared, but is this my fault? I have the same salary, I furnished my place, am just starting to settle in, this is my home. And I have to fight to keep it. If I move out, I cannot afford anything similar. Also imagine the costs involved in moving.
Therefore my landlord keeps trying to find a loophole to get me to leave. He had told me that because of the increase in the rent, he wants to make more money, and so wanted me out. I had all the reasons sent to me.
I got a one-year notice which was not sent through registered post, so my lawyer told me to ignore it. But a new one will come. And I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay in my home. This uncertainty is draining, especially when I am doing absolutely nothing wrong.
If you ever choose to write an article like that again, at least give two sides of the story.
Diane, Dubai
Rent-salary hike disparity
I want to ask landlords how they would feel if you were in our place? If this year, for example, I am paying Dh100,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, the next year it is increased by at least Dh40,000. Divide the amount by 12 months, it amounts to Dh3,333 per month. Now tell me, how many companies here give such huge salary hikes?
It is very inconvenient for someone to move from one to another place when rents go up. The authorities should take note.
Rohan, Dubai
Law supports tenants
Soon after renewing my rental contract in 2013 for a two-bedroom apartment in Business Bay at Dh78,000, our landlord gave us a notice saying he wanted to move into the apartment. He gave us a 12-month eviction notice. Thankfully, we knew that a non-notarised notice is not accepted by law. My husband went to the Rent Department and they confirmed the notice was not valid and asked us to ignore it.
When it was time for our 2014 renewal, our landlord assumed that we would vacate the flat. But we told him that we would not move out and that we would pay a rent increase of only 15 per cent as per the RERA rule. He was also required to give us a 90-day notice to increase the rent, which he didn’t. However, he told us that he would only renew the contract if we told him in writing that we would vacate the flat in 12 months. We filed a case with Rent Committee. The judge ordered the landlord to renew our contract on previous terms with court fees to be deducted from the rent.
Ayesha Imam, Dubai
Rent includes DEWA bill
We have been living in an apartment in Dubai for four years. This year, the property manager sent a mail stating that there will be no increase in rent but we would have to pay Dh7,000 for DEWA. As per our earlier contract our rent includes DEWA charges. Is it legal to do this.
Emman, UAE
We were evicted
I had a bitter experience in 2008. My landlord gave us just one month’s notice to vacate our flat in Satwa because of a proposed expansion. I had just returned from holiday and the notice on the wall was a shocker – 30 families were affected. However, none of the adjacent buildings got such a notice. We were told that tenants would be compensated and that we should submit documents to the authorities. The expansion project was delayed, and we are yet to hear about any compensation.
Esmail Sageer, Dubai
Rental returns are poor
I complete agree with the sentiment that landlords with freehold properties are locked in, but I also sympathise with mid-income families who are struggling with rising rents. However, for property owners the return on their investment is just not there. Surely families with higher incomes choose to live in these high-end areas and their plight is totally unlike the mid-income families.
When I purchased a unit in Dubai’s Downtown area the tenant came along (inherited) with the flat. It was much later that I learnt the law says I cannot ask them to evict. As there was a slump in the market the tenant had negotiated a lower rent earlier, but now any increase is faced with a slap of RERA rental index calculators and the lot and subtle threats and innuendos to making our life legally miserable.
In fact, I’d like to ask, if a tenant is also a property owner, meaning they have alternate arrangements, can we ask them to evict our place?
The rental return is less than four per cent of the value of the property.
Jumana Janoowala, Dubai
Tenant refused to vacate
In 2012 I purchased a one-bedroom apartment in DIC that was rented, as per the tenancy contract, between the tenant and the previous owner. Since I wanted to move in my own apartment, three months prior to the contract expiry I gave the tenant a written notification to vacate the apartment, but the tenant refused, stating that as per RERA, the tenant should be given 12-month notice. As a result, I ended up moving into a rented apartment paying more rent as per current market price.
It surprises me that a tenant has the liberty to vacate a place with only three months’ prior notice, while the landlord is required to give 12 months’ notice, that too with few conditions, whereas if the tenant wishes, he can vacate after completion of the contract. In order to align the property market, the authorities should put restrictions on landlords who rent out their property for higher rents in the open market.
Mariam, Dubai