Dubai is one such place that has more expats than national residents living across the city. Millions of people are staying in apartments and properties for rent in Dubai. The real estate market is always producing more and more supply to meet the consequent year’s forecasted demand. However, with so many rental properties, it is impossible not to have trouble. Even though the rental laws in Dubai are contemporarily some of the best ones; they’re still not perfect.
Needless to say, many people come across different sorts of confusions and problems throughout their tenancy. There are innumerable problems that can arise but limited solutions to it. This is why people are left with no option but to file a rental dispute in Dubai to get their issues resolved.
Let’s take a look at the best practices of filing a rental dispute in Dubai.
When and How Should I File a Complaint?
There are some specific conditions you should assume to be worthy of filing a complaint. Firstly, it is mandatory that you try your best to get in touch with the landlord and work things out. Suppose your landlord is trying to raise the rent unfairly and you know that’s against the percentage set by the law. This is one of the cases where you can file a legitimate dispute but you should still see if the landlord can understand. Try talking till you can because the other way around is very costly and time-taking. Many tenants who are experiencing issues often wonder how do I file a complaint against a landlord in Dubai? While the same can be for the landlord of the place as well.
Since Dubai is one of the leaders in the real estate market, there’s a Rent Dispute Settlement Centre. The department comes under the Dubai Land Department’s head office in Deira. The only case that the RDSC doesn’t accept is finance lease contracts. Furthermore, if your case is from the free-zones of JAFZA, Tecom, or DMC, they won’t partake in the matter.
What You Need to File a Complaint:
You will need to get Arabic copies of the below-mentioned documents. If you don’t, you will need someone to translate it all in Arabic. You can do that by heading to the RDSC where a typist will do it for you. Although they charge a fee for it. Along with your documents, they will also ask you the details about your case to have your statement. The documents you’ll need are:
- Your Passport and Your Visa
- Your Emirates ID
- The Ejari Certificate
- Your Original Blue Tenancy Contract
- Some of the Recent DEWA Bills
- The Rental Deposit Slip
- Copies of All Cheques Issued to Landlord
- The Title Deed and Copy of The Landlord’s Passport (if the landlord’s making the case, they need to bring in their original passport)
- Print or Hard-copy of the conversation or dialogue between both parties regarding the dispute. (This proves not only that there’s been a dialogue but also clarifies the views of both parties.)
- Any and All Documentation That Can Help Or Support Your Case
- Trade License and every document related to commercial business (if the dispute is about a commercial property)
Costs of Rental Disputes:
When you’re filing the case in Arabic and submitting your documentation in Arabic as well, they’ll charge you almost AED 210-250. The rental dispute lodging fee can be anywhere around AED 500 – AED 20,000. This varies with the ratio of 3.5% of your total annual rent. Furthermore, you should also prepare for additional administration costs that vary depending on each case. A rough estimate for that can be AED 110 or more.
Additionally, parking and transportation to the venue will cost you as well. Moreover, the whole process can take an hour or two if there are not a lot of cases that the department is handling. It will take some time and you’ll see that RDC knows how to settle landlord-tenant disputes.
The Process:
Your complaint will go to the Arbitration Department. They’ll try to resolve the case in the first 15 days. In the off-chance that there is no resolution, you’ll have to proceed with a lawsuit. Any and all decisions made by the department will be effective. However, if the value of the annual property rent exceeds AED 100,000 then there’s a chance to appeal this decision.
Next, the Execution Department will ensure the enforcement of the decision and judgments made by the central departments.
If your case proceeds to a lawsuit, RERA will assign you dates to present your case. You’ll have to wait in lines as there are a lot of cases. Make sure you have all the right documentation and a clear depiction of the dispute in your case. Otherwise, RERA will declare it vague and recall you at a later date. The process, on the whole, can take weeks or months depending on the situation. Therefore, you should be sure there are no other possible options you can resort to.
In the circumstance that after filing the case, both parties have reached a settlement, you can rest easy. Although your fee will go to waste, it will not be a problem if you don’t show up to the hearing. All absences mean that the case is settled.