My lease for my apartment is shortly up for renewal, but my landlord has sent me an email stating he wants the apartment back in order to sell it. What I understand from your column is that he should have provided me with 12 months' notice already, and if he is doing it now, I still have 12 months from the day I receive the official notarised and signed notice papers. He has been a good landlord for the past two years, so I don't want to leave things on a bad footing, but also don't want him to disadvantage me. PB, Dubai
It may well be that PB’s landlord is not aware of the laws protecting tenants in Dubai so he needs to be made aware. As mentioned in the previous answer, the landlord needs to provide the tenant with a full 12 months’ notice to vacate the property with effect from the next renewal date. This must be in writing – not by email – and delivered by registered post or public notary.
There are a limited number of reasons why a tenant can be asked to vacate a property and intention to sell is one of them. If the property is not put up for sale, compensation is payable to the evicted tenant.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com
