I booked an off-plan serviced apartment unit in 2016, paid the Oqood and registered with the Dubai Land Department the same year. As per the agreement, the unit was supposed to be handed over in December 2017 but there was a delay. In January the builder notified us of a 2 per cent discount and VAT exemption if we paid 80 per cent of the balance the same day - which we did. The property is ready and all other dues paid off but they are now insisting on us paying the VAT. Is this legal, can they do this? Also since the apartment will be used by my daughter as her residence, on a general basis does VAT apply? DM, Dubai
VAT was introduced into the UAE on January 1. All commercial sales and rentals attract the tax. Serviced apartments are treated in the same vein as hotel apartments and these too are subject to VAT.
What baffles me is why the developer is now reneging on the deal? If they made the offer to effectively waive your VAT charge if you paid the remainder of the full amount by the certain date, why are they now requesting the payment?
I assume their VAT waiver offer was put in writing and of course you must have confirmation of your payment in the form of a receipt. Unless there is a mistake here, I suggest you arrange a meeting with the developer's higher management to seek the answers to this situation.
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Homefront: 'Rents are coming down, so how can I get my landlord to budge?'
'We negotiated our rent down in Abu Dhabi'
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I have found a lovely villa in the ideal spot on the lake in a community I want to move into. There is just one problem, the landlord is demanding Dh30,000 more than other villas in the area. The interior is no better than other nearby homes and while this spot is perfect for me (due to proximity to close friends), again it is no better than other similar villas. How do I encourage the landlord to negotiate? The agent says the landlord is not interested in dropping the price and as a result the property has been on the letting market for eight months. NB, Dubai
This problem is actually quite common and due to the fact that some landlords are not up-to-date with the current property market. That said, it is also their right to ask whatever rent they wish for their property.
I always advise prospective tenants to do their homework, to research the areas and price ranges of available properties. Despite all the statistics at our disposal, I must say that if the landlord is not interested or more importantly, not listening to any of the facts based on the market, then you will be wasting your time.
My advice would be to make a sensible offer, a price that you are prepared to pay for this specific villa. This may still be a bit over the average price for the area but by offering this, will show willing to the landlord. Present this offer at a face-to-face meeting with the landlord. At this meeting, commit to a single payment (if you are able to) and show the rental cheque already filled out and payable to the landlord. This is a surefire way to get a better deal.
In addition, present other villa options to the landlord showing what alternatives are available to you as a tenant. It would be helpful if you can also get a written character reference from a previous landlord or current employer, this will help explain you are a great tenant.
The Rera rental calculator and online property portals demonstrate what ought to be quoted as rental prices but they are only a guide. We live in a free market society where there are willing landlords and tenants, but doing agreeable deals can sometimes be difficult.
Ultimately, if the landlord does not want to drop the rent down to the going rate and you will not meet his price, a deal will clearly not be made. In this scenario, I would suggest you look for another suitable property.
Mario Volpi is the sales and leasing manager at Engel & Volkers. He has worked in the property sector for 34 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
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5