My tenant’s second cheque has bounced. I want to report it to the police, but have been advised not to. What’s the best thing that I can do?
In general the first thing would be to speak to the tenant or find out if there was another reason the cheque was returned. Sometimes it is merely a slight difference in signature and this is at the discretion of the employee of the bank. Cheque returns are common and can cause confusion, especially when the cheque is referred to as ‘bounced’. If the bank and the tenant are of no help, then you have little option but to report the matter to the police and then eventually to the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) should the non-payment continue to force an eviction from your property. Usually, these issues are nipped in the bud very quickly through dialogue, but make sure you get everything in writing where possible.
Our Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) bills have been extremely high and have not come down after the end of summer. We think there is a leak, what can we do?
Firstly, contact Dewa to check your meter, although there is a Dh30 call-out fee for this. If there is a fault Dewa will help rectify it. If not, then you will need to call a maintenance company to investigate a leak and how it can be fixed. Depending on the amount, this cost may fall on the landlord or the tenant.
How do I increase the rent for my tenants? I would like to do it mid-contract as I think they are underpaying by a large margin.
You can only increase the rent at the end of the tenancy contract. Unfortunately, if they are underpaying as opposed to what you think the amount should be, you need to wait until the contract is renewed. The way to increase the rent legally is to first inform your tenants of the increase 90 days before the contract expires. The increase has to be in line with the Rera rent calculator and as such won’t be unlimited. Depending on the undervaluation, you may be able to increase the rent for the following year by a maximum of 20 per cent.
I need to repaint my apartment before handover, how do I find out what paint colour is used?
We would advise asking both the building management and the landlord. Both of them should be able to provide you with the information. Sometimes, the building management will ask for this request to come through the landlord, so you may need to liaise with a few people to get the required information.
What is the maximum length of time I can stay in my apartment once my contract has expired?
In Dubai, all tenancy contracts are considered rolling, assuming no eviction notice has been sent. If you intend to either stay or leave, you will need to have informed your landlord or your real estate agent. If you have not heard from either, we would suggest trying to get in touch. If there is still no response then you could go down to Rera and deposit your rent cheques with them and obtain a letter stating the circumstances for Ejari and visa processes if needed. In theory, the law states this discussion should have happened 90 days before expiry of the tenancy contract, but this does not always happen.
My real estate agent has given me a contract in two parts: a standard 10-point document and an addendum. Is this normal?
Yes, they are usually both on the same contract. The addendum covers the parts of the contract that are not covered under Dubai law. Often, this may mention repainting, fees due or the tenant’s obligation to the property. Remember, if you sign it, you are bound by it, unless it tries to supersede Dubai law. If it does, the law of Dubai will always prevail over a contract.
