My salary has been halved since April and I am having a difficult time paying my rent. Is it right to directly contact the owner of the apartment and ask for a rent reduction instead of the real estate agent? I have the owner's contact number but am hesitant to call him for fear of rejection. I am also afraid that if I contact the owner without the agent's consent, he might take it against me. I reached out to the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre, which advised me to have a word with the agent. FC, Dubai
You are one of a growing number of tenants facing difficulties with rental payments due to the financial implications of Covid-19. However, landlords, too, are probably facing financial issues. Having said that, I would always urge you or any tenant for that matter to speak to the landlord directly to find an amicable solution.
Better still, try to have a face-to-face meeting with the landlord so that you can properly explain your situation. It would appear that you might be looking for a deferment of rent, given your financial position will hopefully improve again soon.
At the meeting, it is important to show evidence of your salary reduction and hardship. Try to find a win-win solution.
It is true that the landlord may not want to listen but if you remain reasonable in your request, the chances are you will succeed.
I invested in a property in Dubai and paid the deposit to the developer. The project did not take off and I have been trying to get my deposit back for a few years now. However, my attempts have been futile. What can I do? MG, Dubai
After the reader provided additional information about the project, I can confirm that it has been cancelled after being just 0.1 per cent complete, according to the Dubai Land Department website. However, the fact that the project has been cancelled should make it easier for you to claim your money back.
Despite there being no other information on the DLD website, it would appear that the developer is still in operation. That said, if you also have a court case pending, the court should be better placed to advise you about the procedure going forward.
The fact that the project has been cancelled should make it easier for you to claim your money back
You do not mention what other correspondence you’ve had with the developer in terms of getting your money back. Often, writing emails or other types of written correspondence does not give you the desired effect because you can be left waiting for information that can take forever to come.
My advice would be to first speak to the court by quoting your case number and secondly, visit the developer in person when you are able to. I’m sure that between these two options, you will surely get a conclusion, especially as the Dubai Land Department has cancelled the project.
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
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Zodi%20%26%20Tehu%3A%20Princes%20Of%20The%20Desert
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEric%20Barbier%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYoussef%20Hajdi%2C%20Nadia%20Benzakour%2C%20Yasser%20Drief%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
