Mario Volpi advises on the latest property issues. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
Mario Volpi advises on the latest property issues. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
Mario Volpi advises on the latest property issues. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
Mario Volpi advises on the latest property issues. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Can Dubai property agent demand Dh2,000 rent renewal fee?


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I live in Business Bay and am in the process of renewing my rental contract for the second year. However, my landlord's agent is now asking for Dh2,000 for renewal charges. According to him these charges are in line with Rera. I have not agreed this previously and the current contract says nothing about fees being payable on renewal. So does the agent have the right to charge this? I understand that landlords should pay this fee, not the tenant, but the agent is basically forcing us to pay before renewing the contract. OM, Dubai

This topic of renewal fees is quite contentious. If you check with Rera, they will tell you that renewal fees should not be charged but if they are, they should be no more than Dh160. My opinion is different. If you are engaging with an agent in the renewal process, then there is a certain amount of work that they need to do. This process is not done free of charge and I believe Dh160 would not cover the administrative costs anyway. I realise that in your case, you appear not to have a choice as the agents are requesting this if you wish to renew. Their renewal charge does seem high though, as the industry norm falls between Dh500 to Dh1,000 to effect a renewal. Higher than this would seem that they are trying it on. Try to negotiate with them but if this fails, I suggest that this cost be shared with the landlord too.

If the landlord is a company and not a private owner, how can he evict us based on the fact he will occupy the property? Who has the right to occupy the property in this case? The chief executive of the company or any employee? AS, Dubai

If the property is owned in the name of a company, ultimately the owners of that company can appoint whoever they choose to live in it. However, this is up to a point. The law states that an owner or his immediate next of kin can request eviction of a present tenant if they wish to use the property themselves. The law is silent, however, when it comes to how far down the line (in this case employees) this would be applicable to. I realise that my answer potentially raises more questions than answers for you, but I can only state that if you wish to contest any potential eviction, you can file a case at the rental committee to ultimately get your definitive answer. Obviously though, this will come at a cost.

I bought a studio apartment in September 2015 and the tenant has told me about an issue with a balcony sliding door. He has been living in that apartment for the last two to three years and wants me to get the door fixed now. Since he has been living in the apartment for a while, should this be done by him or should he have got it done through the previous landlord if this issue has existed for a long time? He is threatening me with legal action if I don't get it fixed. Is it my duty to do such minor maintenance? GA, Dubai

In most tenancy agreements, there should be addendums that outline further information which confirm responsibilities between landlord and tenant. Maintenance is one of those points, and the general consensus is that major maintenance is the responsibility of the landlord while minor work is the responsibility of the tenant. Major and minor is often differentiated by a monetary figure, for example Dh500-Dh1,000 for minor, with more than this amount deemed as major. This way, it is clear as to who ought to be responsible for repairing or maintaining a problem. You say that the present tenant has been living in the apartment for two to three years, but it is possible that the issue with the sliding door could have just happened recently. Either way, as the owner, it is now your responsibility to sort out. If you do not have a specific arrangement in place, now would be an ideal time to sort out an agreement for the future. I suspect that the solution to this will lie with your negotiation skills. I doubt a tenant would bother to take legal action against you, as the cost of processing a case will be uneconomic when compared to the repair cost of the initial problem.

Mario Volpi is a real estate professional who has worked within the industry for the past 31 years in London and Dubai. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not reflect in any way those of the institutions to which he is affiliated. It does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Please send any questions to mariovolpi64@gmail.com.

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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest

Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.

Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.

Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.

Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.

Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.

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