My rental contract ends on July 1. My landlord did not issue a rent increase notice 90 days before contract expiry, but now wants to raise the rent by 20 per cent annually.
The Real Estate Regulatory Agency rent calculator only allows a maximum of 5 per cent rent increase in the community I live in.
Therefore, I believe the contract has to be renewed under the same terms and conditions for one more year since the owner did not serve a notice of 90 days before the end of the tenancy contract.
However, I believe the landlord can renew the lease for the current rent and serve me with a 90-day contract termination notice. Will I be required to move out in 90 days and can my landlord re-let the property to a new tenant at a 20 per cent higher rent?
Under what conditions can my landlord evict me? I believe both parties must agree to terminate the rent contract. Please advise. DD, Dubai
You are partially correct. Since your landlord didn’t serve you the 90-day notice prior to lease renewal to make changes to the rental contract, no changes will, therefore, be allowed and the same rent will be applied going forward.
If the landlord wants to evict you from the property, he needs to send a written notification, including the reason for eviction. This needs to be sent either via notary public or registered mail. The notification is for a 12-month period and it should be served upon expiry of the tenancy agreement, according to law 33 of 2008.
The landlord can cite one of these four reasons for eviction: for the reason of sale; for self-use or use by next of kin of first degree; for property modernisation that will prevent the tenant from living there while work is being carried out; for the reason of demolition.
It is important to note that for points three and four, the landlord must obtain written approvals from relevant departments, such as Dubai Municipality, among others.
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For point two, the landlord will have to prove that they do not own another suitable property that could be used instead. Also, the landlord cannot re-let the property for two years from the date the existing tenant vacates the premises.
If you choose to vacate the property on your own, the landlord is entitled to do what he likes going forward. However, if you are forced to move out and subsequently find that the owner has re-let the property, you will then be entitled to compensation.
My landlord’s real estate broker notified me about a 20 per cent increase in rent. Although this increase is in accordance with the law and the notice was served on time, is an email the right way to communicate this decision?
What happens if I disagree with the 20 per cent rent increase? Can he evict me? I understand that a landlord has to serve the tenant a 12-month notice for the purpose of eviction.
I want to buy some time to find a new property or have some ground to negotiate with the landlord. He even falsely claimed that the rent has increased by more than 40 per cent for similar properties. CG, Dubai
You said that the landlord is entitled to an increase of 20 per cent on your renewal rent, but make sure to check this on the Rera rental calculator. Input details such as the property’s location, number of bedrooms, property type and the renewal date.
If the calculator confirms that the permissible rent increase is 20 per cent, then as long as the landlord has communicated this to you 90 days ahead of the contract renewal date in writing (email is also okay), then he is entitled to this increase.
Also, the maximum allowed rental increase is 20 per cent in a year. If you do not agree with this increase, your only option is to move out of the property.
The landlord is required to send the 12-month eviction notice only if he wants to sell the property, move in himself or for use by his next of kin, extensively modernise the property or demolish it. These are the only four acceptable reasons for eviction.
Mario Volpi is the sales and leasing manager at Engel & Volkers. He has worked in the property sector for more than 35 years in London and Dubai. The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario.volpi@engelvoelkers.com
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
RESULT
RS Leipzig 3
Marcel Sabitzer 10', 21'
Emil Forsberg 87'
Tottenham 0
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
THREE
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England v South Africa schedule:
- First Test: At Lord's, England won by 219 runs
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe.
"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.
Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.
"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
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What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
