Abu Dhabi: Committees to settle rent disputes between landlords and tenants have been set up in Abu Dhabi, a WAM report said.
Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judiciary Department, issued a resolution establishing the rent committees.
As reported by Gulf News on April 1, they include the Committee of First Instance (rent committee), Committee of Appeal and Committee of Cassation. All the committees come under the authority of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.
According to legislation signed by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, the new property law will continue the existing five per cent rent cap in the capital. It also imposes restrictions on the eviction of tenants.
Breach of law
As per the law, landlords cannot ask tenants to vacate except in specific cases, like approved demolition, for personal use, if tenants fail to pay rent, if tenants sublet the property without the approval of the landlord or violate public norms. If the landlords are in breach of the new law, tenants can complain to the rent committee.
Shaikh Mansour's resolution has mandated the committees to swiftly settle disputes between landlords and tenants, as well as to look into temporary procedures sought by any of the parties in the tenancy contract.
Each committee will be chaired by a judge and three members from a judiciary body or those with vast experience and well-known for their fairness and honesty.
The chairman and members of the committees will be appointed by the chairman of the judiciary department on advice from the Judiciary Council.
The committees will implement Law No 20 for 2006 on renting real estate and regulating the relationship between landlords and tenants. They will also implement the Civil Transactions Law and the Law of Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions.
Another committee to settle disputes has been set up in Al Ain.
