# First rent renewal help



## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Morning Peeps

Im now in the same dilemma as everyone else renewing their tenancy contract (my first renewal) - my contract expires on the 5th Aug 2014 and till date noone has contacted me about any rent increase which is supposed to happen 90 days before end of contract (5th May 2014). What should i do in order to avoid any problems later on? Am i expected to call up the agent and discuss and leave it up till contract ends?

I have checked the rera calculator and there is a 10% increase as per the market prices.

Questions


Does this 10% increase still apply or they have missed out since its over the 90days notice?
In the case the contract rolls over with the same rent for the next year - does it stay with the same conditions and same number of cheques?
I have checked the psot in the past few days and there are no notices whatsoever - are there any other ways to check this incase they have sent something and i havent received it?
Can i reject this 10% increase since they have missed the 90days period? or this is a must since rera says so??

Thanks all for your advice


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## MAW0504 (Oct 6, 2009)

If they haven't given you notice that they wish to make any changes before the 90 days then the contract remains exactly as is - they can not change it in any way at all - price, terms, cheques, anything. Also, if they want to give you the year's notice to leave, they have to do that before the new contract is signed too. Just stand firm if they try to change something now, the law is totally on your side with that one.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

MAW0504 said:


> If they haven't given you notice that they wish to make any changes before the 90 days then the contract remains exactly as is - they can not change it in any way at all - price, terms, cheques, anything. Also, if they want to give you the year's notice to leave, they have to do that before the new contract is signed too. Just stand firm if they try to change something now, the law is totally on your side with that one.


Thanks for your reply,

Is this the case even tho the rera calculator says that there is a 10% increase in rent?

You think i should contact them now to resolve this or leave it till the last day before contract end?


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## MAW0504 (Oct 6, 2009)

telecompro said:


> Thanks for your reply,
> 
> Is this the case even tho the rera calculator says that there is a 10% increase in rent?
> 
> You think i should contact them now to resolve this or leave it till the last day before contract end?


Nothing to do with what the calculator says - the increase can not be applied unless the landlord has given you the required notice of his intention to alter the terms of the contract - including price.

It's not up to you to say anything. Wait for the contract to be presented to you and if there are any changes, reject it and simply say "you did not give me 90 days notice that you wished to changed the contract and therefore, as per the law, I will only sign exactly the same contract as before."


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

MAW0504 said:


> Nothing to do with what the calculator says - the increase can not be applied unless the landlord has given you the required notice of his intention to alter the terms of the contract - including price.
> 
> It's not up to you to say anything. Wait for the contract to be presented to you and if there are any changes, reject it and simply say "you did not give me 90 days notice that you wished to changed the contract and therefore, as per the law, I will only sign exactly the same contract as before."


In that case, if the landlord is not happy with me following the rera calculator increase he is capable of evicting me by giving 12month notice from the expiry date of the contract..am i correct?

You think its a good idea to stick to the 10% increase and avoid this eviction notice as i am happy at the place im staying in..

Thanks for your advice


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## MAW0504 (Oct 6, 2009)

If he gives you the year's notice to vacate it has to be BEFORE you sign for the next year. He doesn't seem to know about the 90 day rule so I doubt he knows this either which means you're probably in the unit for 2 years minimum anyway.

He hasn't told you he wants to increase the rent and regardless, he's too late. That's not your fault - don't volunteer to pay extra. You so don't need to by law and I'm sure you're landlord won't show you the same considerations when he wants to do something. The law is there to protect you - use it.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

MAW0504 said:


> If he gives you the year's notice to vacate it has to be BEFORE you sign for the next year. He doesn't seem to know about the 90 day rule so I doubt he knows this either which means you're probably in the unit for 2 years minimum anyway.
> 
> He hasn't told you he wants to increase the rent and regardless, he's too late. That's not your fault - don't volunteer to pay extra. You so don't need to by law and I'm sure you're landlord won't show you the same considerations when he wants to do something. The law is there to protect you - use it.


Referring to your 2 yrs minimum..do you mean from 2014 till 2016? How is this possible? My understanding it would be only 12 months from 2014 hence have to vacate by Aug 2015? Please correct me if im wrong.

Thanks for your comments and i will definitely stand by my right and let you know how it goes..


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

What's he's saying is that because the landlord hasn't bothered to contact you about renewing the rent, odds are he doesn't know he's required to give you a full 12 months' notice to vacate.

In other words, because the 90 day clause has already elapsed, the landlord can't change any of the t's and c's of your contract, including adding an eviction notice to it, for the 2014-2015 year.

In 2015, if he's astute enough, he can serve you with an eviction notice, which must run a full 12-month period. Thus not only till the end of the rent period in 2016 will you have to leave the property. 



telecompro said:


> Referring to your 2 yrs minimum..do you mean from 2014 till 2016? How is this possible? My understanding it would be only 12 months from 2014 hence have to vacate by Aug 2015? Please correct me if im wrong.
> 
> Thanks for your comments and i will definitely stand by my right and let you know how it goes..


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## joemate (Apr 25, 2012)

I hear different things about whether a landlord can serve notice during a contract and the 12 months starts from that date, or must the 12 month notice start at the end of the current contract and the 12 months starts from the end of the current contract...


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## Byja (Mar 3, 2013)

12 months is from the day you're served with eviction letter. It could be anytime into tenancy contract. My landlord also gave me eviction letter one month after renewal, so it means once my contract expires, I'm entitled to "renew" for one more month.

@telecompro whether you give him 10% more or not is completely irrelevant of whether he'll try to kick you out or not. Some friends of mine agreed to pay more to their LL, even a little over RERA calc, and they still ended up with eviction (improper though, told them to stay put).

Anyway, he has to state a good reason for evicting, he can not just say that he's not happy with how much you're paying.


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## MAW0504 (Oct 6, 2009)

He can serve notice at renewal this year but it MUST be before the contract is renewed. On his performance so far it doesn't sound like he knows the rules so may try and serve it after. Again he would be too late and that notice can only take effect from next year. Hence the "you will get 2 years" comment.

Of course, the reason he hasn't done anything could just mean you might have a decent landlord who just leaves you alone....there are one or two.

To answer the other question above:

Module 7 – Legal Concepts in Real Estate and the Law – issued by RERA in March 2014. Page 303 under the section 6.1.6 “Eviction” the final paragraph reads: 

In all above mentioned grounds, the Landlord must notify the tenant in writing through the notary public or via registered mail stating the grounds of the eviction and providing at least twelve months (365 days) notice prior to expiry of the period of lease. (Prior to expiry is actually underlined)

Hope that helps


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## MAW0504 (Oct 6, 2009)

See my above post Byja - you could have fought that.


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

Here's a good recent reference:

Need to know: Renting in Dubai | Financialuae's Blog


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## Byja (Mar 3, 2013)

MAW0504 said:


> See my above post Byja - you could have fought that.


I still can, will double check with RERA. But I'm pretty sure that 12 months is 12 months, and not 12 + remaining on the contract.



QOFE said:


> Here's a good recent reference:
> 
> Need to know: Renting in Dubai | Financialuae's Blog


Ah, the famous Keren from Holborn Assets. Just compare what she's saying about non-renewable clause now, to what she said about it few months ago:

Dubai tenant must move out after signing non-renewable contract | The National

There's a small fortune lying around here in rent laws just waiting to be collected by an Emirati with a proper legal consultancy firm.


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## Byja (Mar 3, 2013)

@telecompro

Oh yes, few more things:
check if your tenancy contract states that it is YOU who need to inform your landlord about changes and continuation of rent
check for a clause which states that this period is shorter than 90 days, for example 60 days or less (which is in accordance with the Law)

Also bear in mind that if the case ends up before RC, they might look at rent increase at the day they reach their verdict, and not get into details with more or less than 90 days.

By the way, didn't I tell you last year not to go after 2BR as you'll definitely pay more this year?


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Byja said:


> @telecompro
> 
> Oh yes, few more things:
> check if your tenancy contract states that it is YOU who need to inform your landlord about changes and continuation of rent
> ...


Here you go, this is a copy of the appendix attached and it does not mention anything about me informing him...but this is the question whether i should contact them or not? bare in mind im dealing with a estate agent directly and not the landlord since the contract is between myself and them...


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## joemate (Apr 25, 2012)

mmmm interesting... am very interested in hearing what Byja finds out


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

And just to note - there HAS to be one of the 4 reasons for eviction as per article 33, law 26 in the eviction notice. If there is not, then it isn't valid.


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## Byja (Mar 3, 2013)

telecompro said:


> Here you go, this is a copy of the appendix attached


You took this picture with a toaster or electric kettle?


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Byja said:


> You took this picture with a toaster or electric kettle?


haha i know its pretty bad...snip it


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## BBmover (Jun 15, 2013)

Byja said:


> @telecompro
> 
> Oh yes, few more things:
> check if your tenancy contract states that it is YOU who need to inform your landlord about changes and continuation of rent
> ...


Happened with us....thought we were looking at no rent increase but the appendix stated 60 days and when we went under the days realised we were to inform too. 
We negotiated a small increase and not the 20% LL originally wanted as we had spoken with Rera who guided us how to deal with LL. Needless to say, once increase was agreed estate agent emailed to say we would also have 12 month eviction without a reason given. Signed new contract and asked where notice is and reason and told its on its way......still not with us. Will be interested to see reason as LL owns other apartments that are rented in our building as well as his own one that he holidays in from UK a few times a year. 

Telecom pro.....have you spoken with Rera? They were really helpful on our queries.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

BBmover said:


> Happened with us....thought we were looking at no rent increase but the appendix stated 60 days and when we went under the days realised we were to inform too.
> We negotiated a small increase and not the 20% LL originally wanted as we had spoken with Rera who guided us how to deal with LL. Needless to say, once increase was agreed estate agent emailed to say we would also have 12 month eviction without a reason given. Signed new contract and asked where notice is and reason and told its on its way......still not with us. Will be interested to see reason as LL owns other apartments that are rented in our building as well as his own one that he holidays in from UK a few times a year.
> 
> Telecom pro.....have you spoken with Rera? They were really helpful on our queries.


Yes i have spoken to Rera and they confirmed what you guys just said but the trick here is do i contact the real estate or wait till the contract is up in August? I would prefer i go and talk to them but i hope i dont get harmed if i do so...

your suggestions please?


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## SgtRoswell (Apr 7, 2014)

telecompro said:


> Yes i have spoken to Rera and they confirmed what you guys just said but the trick here is do i contact the real estate or wait till the contract is up in August? I would prefer i go and talk to them but i hope i dont get harmed if i do so...
> 
> your suggestions please?


I don't think it matters but if I were you, I would go and sort it out asap to have some leverage time to go to dispute committee, if needs be..


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## SgtRoswell (Apr 7, 2014)

Offtopic;... You guys are really helpful, thank God i found this forum. I have seen so many people who just gave up just because they did not have enough information about rental laws. 

The person who deals my apartment initially told me to that apartment can't be renewed since they want to auction it........I just told him about that 'I have consulted with RERA..', he back off agreed to renew however with 22% increase. I, then told him about RERA calculator (which is 5%) and he again back off and agreed but now putting condition to have single check lol .

Now I will have to play mind games with him with this 90 days notice prior to expiry which he seemed to waste it


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

SgtRoswell said:


> Offtopic;... You guys are really helpful, thank God i found this forum. I have seen so many people who just gave up just because they did not have enough information about rental laws.
> 
> The person who deals my apartment initially told me to that apartment can't be renewed since they want to auction it........I just told him about that 'I have consulted with RERA..', he back off agreed to renew however with 22% increase. I, then told him about RERA calculator (which is 5%) and he again back off and agreed but now putting condition to have single check lol .
> 
> Now I will have to play mind games with him with this 90 days notice prior to expiry which he seemed to waste it


He will probably give you an eviction notice once you sign the new contract like it happens with all the stories i heard..

Reason why i dont want to contact him as well now is that if the time comes to sign new contract and he hasn't contacted me then i get 2 years for same rental before evacuating me..lets see what happens..

I think i will have to approach the agent as i cant handle just waiting to see what happens..


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## chestnut (Apr 1, 2013)

Telecompro: You landlord may have gone into this with eyes wide open and is prepared to the idea that he would not be able to increase the rent in the first two years. I would suggest you sit tight (as other have suggested) and wait for him to request an increase and decide what to do at that point. 

But then on the other hand, I'm often told I'm an inveterate optimist. ;-)


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Here you go in today's paper...proves the above discussion 

What to do if your landlord isn’t following the Dubai rent index? - Emirates 24/7


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## jk_1337 (Oct 25, 2012)

My landlord finally contacted me 2 days ago to say he wants to increase my rent despite the rental calculator saying he isn't eligible to do so. He refused to put anything in writing even though the contract is expiring in 2 days and I've shown him proof that the rent can't be increased.

I have been trying to contact him for the past 2 months and when I did get a hold of him, he was aggressive and insisted on increasing the rent but then went on holiday and said he'd call me when he got back to sort it out. 

I lodged a dispute today and forked over the cash (the whole experience is horrific). A hearing date has been set in 2 weeks time. I believe he was contacted by RERA today because he called me a short while ago to try and reconcile outside the tribunal. He said he'll abide by the law this time but wants me out in a year's time.

I need to call RERA to find out if I can get a refund.. though given the way things work around here, I doubt it. 

Sure do hope the OP and everyone else having landlord issues get the justice they so rightfully deserve. Can't believe people think they can just muck around with people's living arrangements like this. It's heinous. 

I shudder to think what the labourers have to endure...


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

jk_1337 said:


> My landlord finally contacted me 2 days ago to say he wants to increase my rent despite the rental calculator saying he isn't eligible to do so. He refused to put anything in writing even though the contract is expiring in 2 days and I've shown him proof that the rent can't be increased.
> 
> I have been trying to contact him for the past 2 months and when I did get a hold of him, he was aggressive and insisted on increasing the rent but then went on holiday and said he'd call me when he got back to sort it out.
> 
> ...


If they don't refund your money, simply go through the process and the hearing - I hope you requested to have the fees paid by the landlord if/when you win the dispute. If you did then you'll get to deduct the fees from your rent and the landlord will learn a valuable lesson in real estate in Dubai.

Let him 'tell' you that you need to vacate the property in a year. When the year is up, send him a note stating that you're interested in renewing the contract. If he complains, ask for proof of the official court order he sent you for eviction stating one of the 4 reasons for the eviction.

Luckily labourers don't have to put up with all this mess. They aren't given any option and told to live 6+ in a room with one toilet being shared by several rooms. They have nothing to complain about


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## jk_1337 (Oct 25, 2012)

I asked them about stating the refund in the dispute claim form but they said I didn't need to specify it because if I win, then it will happen anyway as part of the settlement. Something tells me that I should have insisted on it..!

thanks for the pointers - I don't think my landlord has grounds to evict me based on what I've read! So good luck to him I guess?!


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

jk_1337 said:


> My landlord finally contacted me 2 days ago to say he wants to increase my rent despite the rental calculator saying he isn't eligible to do so. He refused to put anything in writing even though the contract is expiring in 2 days and I've shown him proof that the rent can't be increased.
> 
> I have been trying to contact him for the past 2 months and when I did get a hold of him, he was aggressive and insisted on increasing the rent but then went on holiday and said he'd call me when he got back to sort it out.
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing your story - till now i have not heard anything yet from my landlord and expected expiry is august. I have one problem tho, i had planned my summer vacation in august and hence i will not be here during the contract expiry so its quite worrying that i would have to re-schedule my plans due to this since it looks like by that time we would have not discussed anything yet..do i have to be present when new contract is signed?

Maybe he contacts me soon and this will all be resolved before my expiry- who knows...just hate all this renting dilemma


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

telecompro said:


> Thanks for sharing your story - till now i have not heard anything yet from my landlord and expected expiry is august. I have one problem tho, i had planned my summer vacation in august and hence i will not be here during the contract expiry so its quite worrying that i would have to re-schedule my plans due to this since it looks like by that time we would have not discussed anything yet..do i have to be present when new contract is signed?
> 
> Maybe he contacts me soon and this will all be resolved before my expiry- who knows...just hate all this renting dilemma


Ideally you want to be there until everything is signed and paid but I was in a similar position where the landlord was delaying the whole process and I had gotten in touch about 2 months before the contract expiry. 

I had to go on vacation so about 3 weeks before going on vacation, I sent an e-mail explaining that I have the cheque ready for payment and I'm available any time to sign the contract. I also mentioned that I'd be out of the country at a certain date so if we are unable to get the renewal sorted by then, it'll have to wait until I get back.

Make sure this conversation is in writing and ideally you want them to reply to your e-mail confirming they have read it.

Because you are not available during renewal date, I wouldn't wait too long. Perhaps get in touch with your LL in July (well past the 90 days) and see how it goes. In case there's an issue, it'll give you enough time to start a case with RERA?!?


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

w_man said:


> Ideally you want to be there until everything is signed and paid but I was in a similar position where the landlord was delaying the whole process and I had gotten in touch about 2 months before the contract expiry.
> 
> I had to go on vacation so about 3 weeks before going on vacation, I sent an e-mail explaining that I have the cheque ready for payment and I'm available any time to sign the contract. I also mentioned that I'd be out of the country at a certain date so if we are unable to get the renewal sorted by then, it'll have to wait until I get back.
> 
> ...


Excellent - will do that then on July by sending them(agency) an email. Even tho it will be Ramadan then where everything shuts early and no-one really works then


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## jk_1337 (Oct 25, 2012)

I just called the rental disputes centre and was advised to go through with the hearing even though the landlord now wants to play nicely - it's the only way I can get a refund. Also I was told that even though it wasn't on my claim form, it would be provided as part of the settlement by the judge in the hearing by default. Again, because Dubai doesn't follow logic, I'm preparing to win the case but lose my money!

The other option is to close the case against him, force him to agree to refund me out of court and for me to agree to the new contract with an eviction notice. 

He has little room to move in terms of following the law on evicting me from the place - but i'm trying to work out if it's even worth the hassle with this guy.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

jk_1337 said:


> I just called the rental disputes centre and was advised to go through with the hearing even though the landlord now wants to play nicely - it's the only way I can get a refund. Also I was told that even though it wasn't on my claim form, it would be provided as part of the settlement by the judge in the hearing by default. Again, because Dubai doesn't follow logic, I'm preparing to win the case but lose my money!
> 
> The other option is to close the case against him, force him to agree to refund me out of court and for me to agree to the new contract with an eviction notice.
> 
> He has little room to move in terms of following the law on evicting me from the place - but i'm trying to work out if it's even worth the hassle with this guy.


To my understanding, he can evict you with a 12mon notice from your next renewal in the condition he moves in himself or sells it. So its probably safer to start looking in the next year for other options..


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## jk_1337 (Oct 25, 2012)

yeah I plan on finding another place anyway... but I'm also all about principle.. which seems to be a waste of time over here. Thing is, he owns the building so hardly think he'll sell the apartment since every single apartment is on rent and it's more financially viable to be on rent for him... or move in himself. There's laws for this sort of thing but to what extent will they be followed and how much is all of this pain worth - I don't know.


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

jk_1337 said:


> I just called the rental disputes centre and was advised to go through with the hearing even though the landlord now wants to play nicely - it's the only way I can get a refund. Also I was told that even though it wasn't on my claim form, it would be provided as part of the settlement by the judge in the hearing by default. Again, because Dubai doesn't follow logic, I'm preparing to win the case but lose my money!


Wait - I'm confused. How will you lose your money? If/when you win the case, the 'fees' will be reimbursed to you. More than likely, you will be able to deduct it from the rent which you will give to the landlord for next year.

There's no reason for you to settle out of court with the LL or close the case unless the LL gives you CASH to reimburse the fees or signs the new contract with the rent minus the fees. 

Also, the chance of him serving you with an eviction notice is also slim. He has to provide a reason which is either he's selling or moving in. Since he owns the building, he can't use those reasons - so you're safe. Unless you want to move and don't want to deal with the guy, it doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about. 

Am I missing something?


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## jk_1337 (Oct 25, 2012)

I've just read in a few places where I need to actually specify I want the landlord to refund me the claim fees. I've been told it's automatically done as part of the settlements but since some people are saying it needs to be written down, I'm just assuming there might be issues. 

I may have only lived in Dubai for a year but you don't have to live here long to realise that nothing is as it seems and that logic never prevails!

My landlord lives in another world - that's my biggest problem. He's in denial about the dispute, he's in denial about the calculator and he's now harassing the missus for rental cheques - he reckons he'll give us a new contract only once we hand over the rental cheques.

What a joke.


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

jk_1337 said:


> I've just read in a few places where I need to actually specify I want the landlord to refund me the claim fees. I've been told it's automatically done as part of the settlements but since some people are saying it needs to be written down, I'm just assuming there might be issues.
> 
> I may have only lived in Dubai for a year but you don't have to live here long to realise that nothing is as it seems and that logic never prevails!
> 
> ...


That is Dubai for sure.

You are right, it might be that you have to request the fees to be refunded but it might just be a standard procedure. I only mentioned it because I read it on this form somewhere so if they are telling you it's a standard procedure, it might just be that.

If not, then maybe mention it at the hearing directly to the people involved in the hearing eg: judge. Just to be clear that you should not be penalized for opening a case which should never have opened to begin with if the LL would have followed the law.

Sometimes I wonder if I should be asking for more money from my company for the added stress of accommodations hunting/negotiating/processing. From the moment you have to deal with an estate agent to find a place to live to the moment of dealing with the LL to renew, it's all over the place.

The plus point though is that it seems like the RDC and RERA do have some good laws in place to protect tenants and it seems like they are trying their best to enforce it. The process could still be improved but it's not all that bad considering where we are.


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## jk_1337 (Oct 25, 2012)

w_man said:


> The plus point though is that it seems like the RDC and RERA do have some good laws in place to protect tenants and it seems like they are trying their best to enforce it. The process could still be improved but it's not all that bad considering where we are.


yeah, definitely grateful there is something in place - would certainly be a lot more hellish without it.

there is some light at the end of this tunnel - the landlord has agreed to refund me the fees paid to submit the case against him if i drop the case altogether. so he's now receiving all of the paperwork and bills and has promised to pay in cash (not against the rent) but meh.. as long as I get it back, I'm not fussed.

As for the issue of giving me a non-renewable contract - honestly, I don't want to go through the rigmarole of it all with this guy again....


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

jk_1337 said:


> yeah, definitely grateful there is something in place - would certainly be a lot more hellish without it.
> 
> there is some light at the end of this tunnel - the landlord has agreed to refund me the fees paid to submit the case against him if i drop the case altogether. so he's now receiving all of the paperwork and bills and has promised to pay in cash (not against the rent) but meh.. as long as I get it back, I'm not fussed.
> 
> As for the issue of giving me a non-renewable contract - honestly, I don't want to go through the rigmarole of it all with this guy again....


FYI there is no such thing as non-renewable contract by law and its not recognized by RERA as well. Thats what i understand..


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

jk_1337 said:


> yeah, definitely grateful there is something in place - would certainly be a lot more hellish without it.
> 
> there is some light at the end of this tunnel - the landlord has agreed to refund me the fees paid to submit the case against him if i drop the case altogether. so he's now receiving all of the paperwork and bills and has promised to pay in cash (not against the rent) but meh.. as long as I get it back, I'm not fussed.
> 
> As for the issue of giving me a non-renewable contract - honestly, I don't want to go through the rigmarole of it all with this guy again....


I'm sure you will but ensure you get the cash and the new contract renewed BEFORE you drop the case. I would ensure he understand that the case is still on and hearing date stands until the new contract is signed by both of you and he has paid you pack the fees in cash. I wouldn't trust anyone - period.

As the above posted said - no such thing as a non-renewable contract. If it's in your contract, it doesn't hold up in a dispute. Unless you really want to move, don't do it. I am assuming if you move, you'll be facing the crazy rents being demanded by LLs right now. The only way to keep rents down is to fight the LL and only pay the rental index increase.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

w_man said:


> I'm sure you will but ensure you get the cash and the new contract renewed BEFORE you drop the case. I would ensure he understand that the case is still on and hearing date stands until the new contract is signed by both of you and he has paid you pack the fees in cash. I wouldn't trust anyone - period.
> 
> As the above posted said - no such thing as a non-renewable contract. If it's in your contract, it doesn't hold up in a dispute. Unless you really want to move, don't do it. I am assuming if you move, you'll be facing the crazy rents being demanded by LLs right now. The only way to keep rents down is to fight the LL and only pay the rental index increase.


Totally agree with this comment... i shall share my case as well as i expect to face the real estate within the coming weeks..fingers crossed:fingerscrossed:


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## jk_1337 (Oct 25, 2012)

w_man said:


> I'm sure you will but ensure you get the cash and the new contract renewed BEFORE you drop the case. I would ensure he understand that the case is still on and hearing date stands until the new contract is signed by both of you and he has paid you pack the fees in cash. I wouldn't trust anyone - period.
> 
> As the above posted said - no such thing as a non-renewable contract. If it's in your contract, it doesn't hold up in a dispute. Unless you really want to move, don't do it. I am assuming if you move, you'll be facing the crazy rents being demanded by LLs right now. The only way to keep rents down is to fight the LL and only pay the rental index increase.


thanks for the tips about the non-renewable contract - I've read about them in a lot of places so I just assumed they were legit!

I made a list of conditions that needed to be met in order for me to withdraw my dispute and he's agreed and is sending me the money and paperwork this evening. I should have it all sorted by tomorrow God willing and can finally put this issue to rest.

I know this time next year the rental index will be updated and there'll be an increase and if he's abiding by the law, I'll stick around (and will hopefully have a better paying job!).

thanks for the support everyone!


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## jk_1337 (Oct 25, 2012)

first hurdle down: received the cash I paid for the dispute!

contract being delivered tonight and if it's all good, will sign and handover the cheques.

hurrah!


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## scrappydoo (May 20, 2014)

I feel your pain. I have just taken my LL to the Rent Committee - he tried to kick me out because he bought the apartment in January (previous LL, a bank, failed to give me notice to quit as they wanted guaranteed rent til they sold the place - a case of having their cake and eating it). My LL wanted to move his family in (this is legitimate as he is my neighbour) but unlucky - he had to give us 12 months' notice.

He refused to accept this so we had no choice but take him to court - we won and he repaid our court costs by way of deduction from the next quarter's rent. He then tried to give us a rent increase but the court judgement stated no increase - so we were laughing as we haven't had a rent increase now for 3 years!!

LL has now given us notice (2 weeks after our lease renewed so I am pretty sure our eviction date will be April 2016, not April 2015 as he thinks) as 'he wants to move in' next year, despite him and his family moving overseas this summer!! If he goes through with kicking us out and moves in other tenants paying a much higher rent, I will find out and open a case at the Rent Committee - they pay a decent amount of compensation back to the evicted tenant.

My only advice is do not let LL's bully you. Stand your ground and make yourself aware of the laws (check the RERA Website, click on the laws link). Deal with Agents and LLs by email only - don't do this over the phone. You need a paper trail to prove what was agreed and if you do need to take your LL to court, these email chains can be translated and used in any court proceedings.

If your LL fails to produce a new lease for you by the time your current one has expired, take all your documentation (passport, Emirates ID, Lease, DEWA bill and anything else you have just to cover all your bases) and your cheque book and RERA should issue you with a new lease on the same terms as the previous year. They will take the cheques from you and pass them on to the LL but that isn't your concern.

Do not let your LL threaten to change the locks - if you think he has a spare key, buy a replacement lock and when you leave, put the old lock back in. 

I am fed up with LLs thinking they can ride roughshod over tenants. As tenants you have an obligation to make yourself familiar with the laws. Be polite but firm with your LL or agent and make it quite clear that you know the law and that you won't be bullied. And no, non-renewable contracts are illegal - a LL can issue a new renewable lease but give you 12 months' notice at the same time, with one of four reasons for eviction.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

scrappydoo said:


> I feel your pain. I have just taken my LL to the Rent Committee - he tried to kick me out because he bought the apartment in January (previous LL, a bank, failed to give me notice to quit as they wanted guaranteed rent til they sold the place - a case of having their cake and eating it). My LL wanted to move his family in (this is legitimate as he is my neighbour) but unlucky - he had to give us 12 months' notice.
> 
> He refused to accept this so we had no choice but take him to court - we won and he repaid our court costs by way of deduction from the next quarter's rent. He then tried to give us a rent increase but the court judgement stated no increase - so we were laughing as we haven't had a rent increase now for 3 years!!
> 
> ...



THanks for sharing your story and your comments.

Lets wait and see what happens when my next one is up - till now the landlord has not contacted me and its past the 90 days so i guess there will be no increase due to that unless he decides to evict me then thats a different story. So if August comes by and he does not contact me - how would i renew my contract? do i just head to Rera to do that? My only problem is that on the due contract expiry i will not be here - i will be back 5 days after the said date so its going to be abit tricky how to handle that..lets see


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

OK so here comes an update..contract expires in August 2014 and real estate has not contacted me till now. So i took the first step and called them where they advise me that we just apply what RERA calculator says which is 10% increase. I have no problem with that but the problem is that they have not stuck to the 90 day rule where they should have advised me of this increase so these are my 2 options:

1- I refuse this increase and the contract rolls over with same conditions since they have missed the 90 days notice but then most likely i would would expect to get eviction notice for 12 months i guess
2- I accept the RERA new raise but next year will face another raise most likely or even eviction

What do you guys suggest on doing? I would like to stick to the rules so i do not face any issues in the future...


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Stick to the rules unequivocably - don't think for a minute that if you let him off and allow him to do a rise now, that in any way it will stop him from evicting you in 12 months time. next year is next year - worry about that when it comes to it.

They have no scruples, so stick to the letter of the law and the law only.


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

I think it depends on the landlord. If you have had good relationship with him/her then perhaps go for option 2. I mean, the condition suggesting that they'll stick to RERA calculator makes me want to believe the landlord isn't an a$$ but you'd know better.

Remember, they can't just evict you next year. They need to give you a 12 month notice and a VALID reason.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

w_man said:


> I think it depends on the landlord. If you have had good relationship with him/her then perhaps go for option 2. I mean, the condition suggesting that they'll stick to RERA calculator makes me want to believe the landlord isn't an a$$ but you'd know better.
> 
> Remember, they can't just evict you next year. They need to give you a 12 month notice and a VALID reason.


To be honest have never met the landlord - it all goes through the real estate agency as they are his broker..its a tough one to decide as i would like to start pushing in one direction and not bail out half way through..


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

The law is there to protect you, use it. It weakens the position of everyone else who needs the law to protect them if you just hand over more money when you don't need to.

All you are to your landlord is a contribution to the return on his investment, he cares not a jot for you or your family.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Gavtek said:


> The law is there to protect you, use it. It weakens the position of everyone else who needs the law to protect them if you just hand over more money when you don't need to.
> 
> All you are to your landlord is a contribution to the return on his investment, he cares not a jot for you or your family.


Looks like it will be option 1 then - let's see what they say today.:fingerscrossed:


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## safee (Aug 4, 2011)

telecompro said:


> To be honest have never met the landlord - it all goes through the real estate agency as they are his broker..its a tough one to decide as i would like to start pushing in one direction and not bail out half way through..


Tell the agent that that you have spoken to RERA and they have unfortunately missed the deadline. Hearing RERA, they will back off. Even better call RERA, explain the situation to them and grab the person's email address. Email agent and copy RERA on it.

Last year my landlord missed his deadline and I stick to the law and no increase was effected.

Goodluck


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

safee said:


> Tell the agent that that you have spoken to RERA and they have unfortunately missed the deadline. Hearing RERA, they will back off. Even better call RERA, explain the situation to them and grab the person's email address. Email agent and copy RERA on it.
> 
> Last year my landlord missed his deadline and I stick to the law and no increase was effected.
> 
> Goodluck


OK seems you are right..they called back and said yes you are right about the 90 days rule but asked if we can have only 5% increase instead of 10%...seems they are trying to negotiate. I basically told them i will have to stick to the RERA rules and no increase can be applied..

I guess they will accept but then they would give me an eviction on renewal with one of the 2 reasons advised by law.


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## safee (Aug 4, 2011)

telecompro said:


> OK seems you are right..they called back and said yes you are right about the 90 days rule but asked if we can have only 5% increase instead of 10%...seems they are trying to negotiate. I basically told them i will have to stick to the RERA rules and no increase can be applied..
> 
> I guess they will accept but then they would give me an eviction on renewal with one of the 2 reasons advised by law.


They can only evict you if the landlord is going to move in himself and you are safe for probably 
another two years if your contract is due for renewal in the next few days. The eviction notice is one year after expiry date of current contract. Fingers crossed they are not clever enough to give you notice before you get to renew .


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## NiceToqueEh (May 4, 2014)

safee said:


> They can only evict you if the landlord is going to move in himself and you are safe for probably
> another two years if your contract is due for renewal in the next few days. The eviction notice is one year after expiry date of current contract. Fingers crossed they are not clever enough to give you notice before you get to renew .


Incorrect. The eviction notice is one year from the date the notice is delivered.


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

telecompro said:


> OK seems you are right..they called back and said yes you are right about the 90 days rule but asked if we can have only 5% increase instead of 10%...seems they are trying to negotiate. I basically told them i will have to stick to the RERA rules and no increase can be applied..
> 
> I guess they will accept but then they would give me an eviction on renewal with one of the 2 reasons advised by law.


Eviction at this stage would sound real sketchy so let them serve you with one of the reasons but If I were you, I would politely inform them that if they do decide to evict you in a year, you will follow up and ensure the property isn't rented again - if it is, you will file a case with RERA for compensation.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

NiceToqueEh said:


> Incorrect. The eviction notice is one year from the date the notice is delivered.


I thought so too so that was in incorrect statement. Eviction can be at anytime and is valid for 1 year for any of the 2 mentioned reasons.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Quick question

The current contract has a fee of 1000AED for renewals..is this a must or this goes towards the real estate?


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

telecompro said:


> Quick question
> 
> The current contract has a fee of 1000AED for renewals..is this a must or this goes towards the real estate?


Check with RERA but I guess they will say its not a valid legal term and can be ignored. I recall someone posted a link to an article which said it was 160AED maximum in any case.


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## Guest (Jul 2, 2014)

telecompro said:


> Quick question
> 
> The current contract has a fee of 1000AED for renewals..is this a must or this goes towards the real estate?


I paid 1k AED for my renewal, and I didn't bother to check the laws etc, my mistake. Better Homes is my agent btw.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

nathanalgren said:


> I paid 1k AED for my renewal, and I didn't bother to check the laws etc, my mistake. Better Homes is my agent btw.


wow but dont you think this is alot and for what? all they are doing is just printing the contract and signing it - thats it! i think i will not accept this unless i have no other options..maybe pay 500 only :fingerscrossed:


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

Don't even pay 500aed. Do some search and contact RERA. If they insist, tell them you are following the legal rule.

The first I renewed, I paid 160 for the agent to print the document for the landlord and bring it to me to have it signed. Since then, I have never paid as I told the landlord that I'm not paying this fee at all. If he wishes, I will print the document myself. Never had an issue.

The agent is trying to make a quick buck (illegally) on your behalf. Wonder if the new yearly training RERA is introducing for these agents is going to reduce these shady tactics - doubt it!


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## haibinhle (Jun 1, 2013)

Hi Telecompro,

Do you have any update on your situation?

BRs,
hble


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## Jowhara (Aug 10, 2014)

I too am in a similar delima (first contract renewal). I received a notice little more than 2 months before my contract was up for renewal that landlord would raise the rent. since I didn't like the apartment so much, I gave them 2 months notice that I wanted to vacate because of rent increase. Now I see that it is very difficult to move. If I refuse to move, will the law be on my side or will the landlord be able to force me to move out unless I accept the higher rent? Also they are raising the rent 25%. Is it possible for me to pressure them not to raise the rent more than 10%?


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

haibinhle said:


> Hi Telecompro,
> 
> Do you have any update on your situation?
> 
> ...



They tried to increase the rent but i refused and proved law does not allow this and they had no choice but to keep the rent as is so i no increase on the rent. Lets hope i do not get an eviction notice. But so far so good..


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

And guess what!!

I receive this afternoon an eviction notice to my apartment which is notorized with a reason to sell apartment. Now my question is do I have 12months to vacate from today or from the end of my current contract which I just renewed at the beginning of august?


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## haibinhle (Jun 1, 2013)

telecompro said:


> And guess what!!
> 
> I receive this afternoon an eviction notice to my apartment which is notorized with a reason to sell apartment. Now my question is do I have 12months to vacate from today or from the end of my current contract which I just renewed at the beginning of august?


Oups, what's the hell is that?

Have you registered your new contract with EJARI? I have my renewal contract signed for the second year which will take effect from 21st of September but today, a real estate agent brings two guys to visit my appartment (buying purpose). It seems to me that the landlord is looking for someone to sell this appartment. I'm not in your situation at the moment but maybe I'll be in few weeks. Bookmark this thread to look for advices. It's really hard dealing with accomodation in Dubai...


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

haibinhle said:


> Oups, what's the hell is that?
> 
> Have you registered your new contract with EJARI? I have my renewal contract signed for the second year which will take effect from 21st of September but today, a real estate agent brings two guys to visit my appartment (buying purpose). It seems to me that the landlord is looking for someone to sell this appartment. I'm not in your situation at the moment but maybe I'll be in few weeks. Bookmark this thread to look for advices. It's really hard dealing with accomodation in Dubai...


Why would he want to sell at a nearly half the price when he's got steady rent income (I'm referring to your other post)? Is your rent a lot lower than the Dubizzle ads asking prices?


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

He obviously doesn't want to sell, he's using it as an excuse - as most owners are - just to kick out the tenant. This is what you do - you write back saying you conform receipt and accept the 12 months notice to vacate, however, on vacating you will be checking with DEWA and RERA that the apartment only becomes registered in the name of a new owner. IF it becomes apparent that a new tenant has moved in, you will be filing a case with the rent committee and if you win, which is likely, because the owner lied, then the penalties he can end up with it are: Having to pay you one years rent as compensation. Kicking the new tenant out and giving you first refusal to move back in. Being banned from renting for the next two years.

Make this all absolutely clear.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Chocoholic said:


> He obviously doesn't want to sell, he's using it as an excuse - as most owners are - just to kick out the tenant. This is what you do - you write back saying you conform receipt and accept the 12 months notice to vacate, however, on vacating you will be checking with DEWA and RERA that the apartment only becomes registered in the name of a new owner. IF it becomes apparent that a new tenant has moved in, you will be filing a case with the rent committee and if you win, which is likely, because the owner lied, then the penalties he can end up with it are: Having to pay you one years rent as compensation. Kicking the new tenant out and giving you first refusal to move back in. Being banned from renting for the next two years.
> 
> Make this all absolutely clear.


Thanks for the advice..I will do that.

But dont you think I should wait till the renewal time and send him this email that I will check on him till he sells so that its more effective before my eviction..maybe he can change his mind when he relizes that he cant rent again for 2 yrs?

Thing is that I have never met this guy, its always dealing with his property broker...funny thing is that they have been following up with me for past 2 weeks to send them a copy of my new ejari but I refused as I felt there is simething fishy and here comes the eviction


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## BBmover (Jun 15, 2013)

We had to supply our Ejari for an eviction notice to be served. Is that how it works?

Our notarised eviction states 2 reasons: selling or personal use. Isn't it only one that is put down?
We also received our eviction notice 3 months after renewal so I assume that's the 12 months but not sure how it works when contract ends?

Good advice Chocoholic....will keep this piece if information.


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## haibinhle (Jun 1, 2013)

QOFE said:


> Why would he want to sell at a nearly half the price when he's got steady rent income (I'm referring to your other post)? Is your rent a lot lower than the Dubizzle ads asking prices?


I don't know why. My rent is a bit lower than the market rent but not that much (5k-8k lower). He's a businessman in Dubai, I think he's experiencing a big loss in his business so he wants to sell his property (?!!)


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## Byja (Mar 3, 2013)

Chocoholic said:


> Being banned from renting for the next two years.


If you read the Law really carefully, you'll notice that 2 yr ban only applies for the cases when you're served with an eviction letter where reason given is moving in of LL or his next of kin. If you're served with an eviction letter where the reason for eviction is selling, then there isn't any ban on renting the unit again. Furthermore, unless the LL gets the new tenant straight away, he can always claim that he really had the intention to sell the apartment, but the buyer changed his mind at the last minute. It's a loophole the LLs can exploit.
I don't know if they need EJARI registration for the eviction letter, my LL also kept asking for it, and after I've provided it, I've received the eviction letter 2 weeks later. But at least he was honest for the first time I've known him, he sold the apartment and now I have a new LL.
Anyway, don't blame it all on the LLs, I think that the agents are even worse. Their interest is always getting that 5% from the new tenant, and sometimes any X% from the existing they can squeeze out. It's a cartel, that tries to keep this market dynamic, and I believe that price increases are driven by them, promising their customers - LLs - more for the apartments they own. So for example if you're paying 100k, and agent tells LL he can get 120k, so they kick you out. 2 months later they get a new tenant for 105k, it's a loss both for tenant, for the LL, but not for the agent. So try to get in touch with LL and bypass agent any way you can.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Just for your info, i also found out once you are evicted after the 12 months notice. The apartment is locked in DEWA under the landlords name which means he cant rent the apartment to anyone except himself unless he sells it. I hope this is true as if this is the case then i will definitely use that against him.

I do not think i will communicate anything to him now until 90 days before the eviction date and hopefully by then he would have different view and agree to maybe renew the contract...


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## Many ya (Oct 27, 2015)

Hi!
Would appreciate if anyone can advise on my case.

My ladlord evicted me on the pretext of selling the apartment....after a few weeks of eviction he rerented the house

I filed a case in Rera ...on the first hearing the LL upon being asked by the judge if he knew the case...he replied "no"

The judge gave another date and asked him to check the details of the case and reply in few days...to which he said he wanted to file a counter case against me for damages to his house...which he did file and i was supposed to reply on that plus i need to give him building maintenance charges as per my contract ( i signed the second year contract At same price as previous year with no changes ....as he had not given me 90 days notice...though he wanted to increase rent by 15 percent but couldnt coz of that)

But he cleverly added a point of buiding service charges to be paid by me which was not in my previous year contract...n my fault that i missed reading it on signing.
Now both my case and his counter case have been clubbed together.

As for the damages he now claims after 2 months of eviction with already a new tenant in his house...can he make me liable to pay??....i have his final email that he would deduct certain amount from my security deposit which i didnt agree to as i had given the house clean ,maintained and painted.

What would be my chances of winning the compensation for unfair eviction and will i need to pay what he claims now after i filed the case?? ...throughout the year of my stay he never asked for the building maintenance not even after i vacated...only when i filed a case he realised.

Looking forward for a reply
Thanks and regards


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