Eviction after mall collapse in Dubai: Know your rights as a tenant

Question: I rent a shop in a mall. Four months ago, the first floor and the basement of the east side of the mall collapsed. The landlord is now asking me to vacate the shop until the portion is fixed. However, my shop is located on the west side of the mall. Does the landlord have the right to evict me, and do I have the right to request compensation?

Answer: According to the law in Dubai, a landlord may request eviction of a tenant before expiry of the lease contract if the property is likely to collapse, provided that he proves this with a technical report issued by or certified by Dubai Municipality.

However, the tenant has the right of first refusal to return to the property once it is reconstructed, renovated, or restored.

The tenant must exercise the right of first refusal within 30 days of being notified by the landlord. So, in case the landlord has a technical report from Dubai Municipality, you have to leave, unless you can prove in court that your shop is far away from the collapsed area and is not affected by the reconstruction.

In such cases, you have to refer the matter to an expert to prove that your shop is not affected.

If the court rules that you must vacate, you can claim compensation. The court will decide on eviction and compensation based on the documents submitted.