Resolving rent disputes

Dubai: There are no federal laws in the UAE to regulate the tenant-landlord relationship. However, each of the seven emirates have issued their own local tenancy rules.

The laws stipulate a written tenancy contract and set out in detail the responsibilities and the requirements of both the landlord and the tenant.

The initial tenancy contracts in the emirates are valid for one year, except in Sharjah and Ajman where it is valid for three years. Within that period, landlords are not allowed to increase the rent or to ask the tenant to leave the accommodation.

The tenancy contract must be registered at the municipality of the emirate where you rent the place.

You need to have a valid residence visa in order to be able to rent for a long term.

Compare

If you are thinking of moving into the UAE and plan to stay at a place in any of the emirates, you should compare the rents in the various emirates as it varies from place to place.

Rents in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are among the highest in the country, followed by Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain.

Each emirate has established its rent committee which is part of its municipal services. The rent committee will play the role of a mediator in case of disputes between the tenant and the landlord.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman have set limits to raising rents year on year.

It is a well-known fact that rents are soaring in the UAE, especially in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

For an affordable price a resident could find a place to live in Ajman. Many residents who work in Dubai, rent a place in Ajman as the rent is lower and the distance between the two emirates is less that 20 kilometres. But one should keep in mind the traffic congestion on the roads.

Abu Dhabi property law that regulates the relation between landlords and tenants states that if the tenancy contract duration is for three years or less, the rent increase cannot be more than seven per cent every year.

In Dubai, the rent increases are capped at seven per cent annually at present,but may become voluntary in the future. In Ajman the rent increase is capped at 20 per cent every three years.

If the landlord in Sharjah asks a tenant to pay more rent before the completion of the first three years of the tenancy contract, the tenant can refuse to accept the increase because the government has blocked landlords from increasing rents for three years after signing the initial contract.

The rent law in Sharjah prevents landlords from increasing the rent for three years after signing the initial lease agreement.

In Al Ain, the rent increase for properties managed by the Department of Social Services and Commercial Buildings is capped at a maximum of seven per cent annually.