We are a married couple with no children but will be bringing two cats with us from South Africa to live in Abu Dhabi. We intend staying for five to six years and are trying to get a feel for where to stay, what type of accommodation would best suit us, and would ideally like to get it right first time and remain for the whole five years plus in the one place. Any recommendations on where to start gathering reliable information? I will be working for an Abu Dhabi government company on what seems to be a competitive remuneration of more than Dh50,000 per month, including allowances. We want to focus on saving and will have to compromise on accommodation costs. My job entails four days on site on site in the Western Region and three days home in Abu Dhabi. My wife is a qualified accountant who will most likely find a job in the city after settling in for a few months, so we want to have access to, but not necessarily live in, the city. Any useful pointers you can share? MC, South Africa
The renting process in Abu Dhabi is straightforward and much the same as in Dubai. The one piece of advice I would like to give you would be not to look to rent too early, as the whole process is very quick and normally only takes just a few days. This is especially important if you are renting privately (I mean not renting a villa that is owned by your future employer). It is imperative that your visa is also stamped into your passport or at the very least under process, as you cannot rent any property without this.
The process is quick: once you see a property you like, you book it by putting down a 5 per cent deposit through a current-dated cheque. You also pay the agent his 5 per cent commission and depending on the number of cheques the landlord has agreed to accept you also pay the rental cheques to cover the leasing contract period. There is no credit checking done on you, so once the above is completed and you are invited to sign the tenancy agreement, you can then move in straight away, subject to connecting your utilities (water and electricity).
With regard to the areas to settle in, my understanding is that where you will be working is located in the Western region of Abu Dhabi – approximately 300 kilometres from Abu Dhabi city – but, given that you will not be commuting on a daily basis, this will give you a wide choice of areas to consider. I obviously do not know any of your living criteria at this stage, such as the type of property, size, actual rental amount, amenities required etc. Therefore, my best advice at this stage would be to initially source the areas by visiting local property websites such as propertyfinder.ae or dubizzle.com or to type in relevant searches on Google.
The most popular areas in and around Abu Dhabi are Al Reem, Al Reef, Al Raha Beach and Gardens, Saadiyat Beach, Khalifa City, Mohammed bin Zayed City and Golf Gardens.
The above sites will give you the information you will need to decide on the correct areas for you and your family.
If you are intending to stay in one property for this length of time, I suggest that you build a strong relationship with your landlord. One that will withstand issues that are bound to come along during this period.
Lastly, remember that landlords have the sole right and discretion as to what they ask for as rent at the renewal of the tenancy agreement because of the abolition of the 5 per cent rental cap by the Abu Dhabi government in November 2013.
My family lives in a villa in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi. We have a one-year lease. Less than 30 days before the lease expired, our rental agent came to our door with a letter announcing an increase in rent of 5 per cent for the renewal of the lease. Is this legal in Abu Dhabi? CH, Abu Dhabi
Any changes to the contract have to be communicated giving at least 60 days’ notice. In theory therefore, there should be no increase in rent as a result of missing this notification window.
In November 2013, the Abu Dhabi Government scrapped the 5 per cent rental cap, leaving landlords to charge whatever they liked for the rent on renewal.
All of the above now raises some issues for you.
Yes, the landlord has missed the window of opportunity to raise the rent for the next renewal but for the sake of good landlord/tenant relationships, it is up to you to decide whether to accept this or to take it further and potentially have a fight on your hands. Weigh up all your options before deciding, but in reality there should be no increase.
Mario Volpi is the managing director of Ocean View real estate and has worked in the industry in the emirate and in London for the last 30 years. Send any questions to mario@oceanviewdubai.com
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek appropriate independent legal advice
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