Your rights as a landlord in Dubai in 2024

Are you a landlord, or property investor thinking about becoming a landlord? Get ahead on your rights as a landlord in Dubai in 2024!

As landlords in Dubai, there is a set rule of guidelines created by RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority). RERA has specific laws that outline the roles and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords.

We’ll break them down for you…

Before everything else - Get to know your tenant

To ensure a successful tenancy, you need to feel comfortable and confident with who you’re working with. So, make sure you are in a good place with the tenant you are going with. If you haven’t selected a tenant yet, it is good to build a relationship with potential tenants as this would ease working together over the course of time and allow for fewer conflicts.

Into the laws - Updating rental income

One of the most important rights is that as a landlord, you can ask for rent on the agreed date each month as per the contract. Tenants must pay their utility bills, including water, electricity, and gas.

According to RERA rules, if your property's rent is 11% to 20% below the average rent in Dubai, you can increase the rent by 5%. However, this must be determined by the RERA rent calculator.

So, when you are renewing the lease, you can also raise the rent, but you must inform the tenant three months in advance, and ensure this is acceptable by the RERA rental calculator. Occasionally, you may face issues like non-payment, subletting, or tenants leaving without notice.

Here’s our top advice - Before signing a lease, thoroughly check the tenant and make sure you or a reliable real estate agent meets the tenant in person and verifies their identification and financial documents.

Ensure there’s a detailed tenancy contract, including a 'no subletting' clause, and register it with Ejari. This can help prevent future problems and ensure a smooth rental experience.

Sort the property inspection

Regular property inspections are a crucial right for landlords to ensure the upkeep of their property.

In Dubai, this is a common practice, and you as a landlord must provide a 24-hour written notice to tenants before conducting an inspection, as outlined in every rental agreement.

It's also essential for landlords to inspect the property as soon as the tenant moves in to ensure it hasn’t been sublet. This initial inspection helps maintain transparency and ensures the property is being used as agreed.

Eviction rights

Landlords have the right to evict tenants if they violate the terms and conditions of the rental contract. As per Articles 25 and 26, a landlord can issue an eviction notice if the tenant fails to pay rent.

The valid reasons for eviction include:

• Property damage
• Unauthorised modifications
• Using the property for purposes other than those agreed upon
• Engaging in immoral or illegal activities

Additionally, landlords can evict tenants if the property needs to be demolished or renovated. It’s important to follow the proper legal procedures when issuing an eviction notice to ensure compliance with local regulations.

The only way to request an eviction, outside of contracted terms, is by providing a written notice 12 months before the required date.

Although, there are some cases where this does not apply, such as:

• Failure to pay rent
• Unauthorised subleasing
• Improper use of the property
• Illegal or immoral activities
• Damaging the property, and non-compliance with the tenancy or the law.

Cheques and direct debit - what do you need to know?

First things first, it is critical that you ensure that all payments are issued by the tenant themselves.

It might sound simple, but it’s often when this is overlooked that issues of subletting and illegal activity occur. You as a landlord can come to an agreement with the tenant as to how many cheques you want to work with, which of course then needs to be written in the contract.

For direct debit payments, you need to make sure that the tenant’s account is registered with the apartment, which can be done via the Noqodi Direct Debit System.

If you plan to increase your rental rates, you are required to provide the tenant with a 90-day written notice via Nortary Public.

How can we help you?

If you are interested in leasing your property or are a tenant searching for your next home - our team of experts are on hand to help!

Our Director of Property Management, Anisha Sagar, is also an expert in all things Property Management!