Question: I rent a one-bedroom apartment in Dubai Marina. My landlord has informed me that he wants to switch the apartment to short-term rental and says that, because this is a business decision, I must vacate the property at the end of my contract. He is offering me 30 days’ notice.
I’m not sure whether this is legal or if short-term rental qualifies as a valid reason to evict a sitting tenant. Can he ask me to leave for this reason? SM, Dubai
Answer: Short-term rental does not qualify as a legal reason for eviction. Law 33 of 2008 states that a landlord may only evict a tenant for four main reasons:
- to sell
- for personal use, or use by first degree next of kin
- for major renovation that requires the property to be empty
- for reason of demolition
Switching to commercial use, such as holiday home licensing, does not fall into any of these categories.
Therefore, your landlord cannot serve you a 30-day notice, nor can he refuse renewal on this basis. The correct procedure if he intended to sell or use the property personally, for example, would be a to send you a 12-month notice to vacate through notary public or registered mail.
Short-term leasing is a business choice, not a legal reason to displace a current tenant.
I suggest you inform the landlord politely of the correct legal framework. Most misunderstandings arise from poor advice. If he insists on proceeding unlawfully, you can open a case with the Dubai Rental Dispute Centre, which is likely to rule in favour of the tenant in situations like this.
Q: I rent a villa in Sharjah and my landlord has informed me that tenants must now contribute to an upgrade fee to cover road repaving and landscaping enhancements in the community. This came with no warning and wasn’t mentioned in my tenancy contract.
It would add nearly Dh4,000 ($1,089) a year to my rent. Is a landlord allowed to add this kind of fee mid-tenancy? SB, Sharjah
A: No, your landlord cannot introduce new fees midway through a tenancy unless they are explicitly written into the contract you signed.
Any upgrade works, infrastructure improvements or community enhancements fall under the responsibility of either the landlord or the developer, not the tenant. Your rent is meant to cover your cost of occupancy. Anything related to the long-term condition or value of the property remains the owner’s responsibility.
If the landlord insists, you can remind them that Sharjah tenancy disputes are handled with a strong emphasis on written contract terms. If the contract does not specify any additional or variable community charges payable by the tenant, then you are not legally obliged to pay.
In many cases, simply clarifying this to the landlord resolves the issue, as they may be passing on costs without realising they are prohibited from doing so.
Q: I purchased an off-plan townhouse in Meydan in early 2022. The expected handover date was the fourth quarter of 2024. Last week, the developer sent an update saying the handover has been pushed to mid-2026 due to infrastructure adjustments. I’m worried this may drag on even longer.
What are my rights when a delay is so significant? Do developers owe compensation and is there anything I should be doing now? DF, Dubai
A: Major delays are frustrating, but they do occur, especially when the developer has to outsource the contractor and when large-scale infrastructure changes are involved.
Your rights are determined by two things:
- Your sales and purchase agreement (SPA)
- The developer’s registration with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency’s project monitoring system
Most SPAs in Dubai include a clause allowing developers a certain delayed grace period, often 12 months after the expected completion date, before a delay is considered material. Given your revised timeline, this delay will probably exceed the grace period.
In such cases, you may be entitled to compensation depending on the wording of your SPA. Some agreements state a fixed penalty per month, others outline a more general compensation formula. The exact amount varies widely.
If delays become unreasonable and more than two years beyond the original date, you also have the option to file a complaint through Rera’s legal affairs department, which can assess whether the developer remains compliant.
For now, document everything. Maintain copies of all updates, construction photos from site visits and your payment receipts. Continue paying instalments only in line with actual construction progress as reflected in Rera’s project tracker.
Delays are always disruptive, but Dubai’s regulatory framework gives buyers a structured process for recourse.
The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario@allegiance.ae
