Question: My tenant’s lease expired at the end of October, but he has been overstaying in my property. He has delayed rent payments multiple times and provided two bounced cheques, for which a legal case has already been filed. He then transferred the amount, but some is still pending.
He has been unresponsive and did not allow my power of attorney to check the condition of the property. I paid the Dewa bills and then disconnected the service in December after waiting for a month. The tenant has to pay this, too. He has been messaging my power of attorney after the Dewa service was disconnected and is actively resisting eviction.
What immediate legal steps would you recommend for eviction and what is the estimated timeline? What are the potential costs involved and what is the quickest and most cost-effective method to regain possession of my property? Can the police assist on this matter? OS, Dubai
Answer: To evict a tenant for non-payment of rent, you will have to send a notarised letter to them requesting immediate payment of all dues. Unfortunately, the letter will require you to give the tenant an additional 30 days to rectify the situation before you can file a case at the Rental Dispute Committee in Deira, Dubai.
In the past, the committee has issued a judgment within weeks, but I stress that this timeline depends on the complexity of the case and it can take months if it is complicated. The cost of filing a case is 3.5 per cent of the rental amount, but if you are using lawyers and translators, this cost will be higher.
The quickest way to regain your property is to send the notarised letter, as outlined above. After 30 days, you can file a case at the dispute centre, explaining you have already given this time to the tenant. The court will then proceed to eviction, which can take a bit longer to finalise.
Unfortunately, the police cannot intervene. However, if you feel a discussion between them and your tenant may help to speed up the matter, by all means seek their help.
Q: A friend of mine recently bought a property. While he was aware of the agency commission of 2 per cent plus VAT, there was an additional 0.4 per cent charge for conveyancing, which was not explained. Is this a normal fee to charge? JB, Dubai
A: Conveyancing fees are absolutely part and parcel of the buying process and any company should be promoting this via dedicated conveyancers. In the past, brokers would complete the transaction from A to Z. However, problems would occasionally arise and these sometimes led to legal complications due to non-qualified people being involved.
The property company your friend used should have explained all the charges and listed them. Conveyancing fees are based on the difficulty of each case and will depend on whether the sale is conducted with cash or a mortgage.
There are four types of purchases:
- Cash to cash: This is when the buyer is buying without finance and the seller is mortgage-free. Typically this is the easiest sale.
- Mortgage to mortgage: This is when the buyer requires finance to buy, and the seller has a mortgage, too. This is technically the most difficult case and takes the longest.
- Cash to mortgage: This is when the buyer is proceeding with a cash payment, but the seller has a mortgage that needs to be redeemed.
- Mortgage to cash: This is when a buyer requires finance to buy but the seller is mortgage-free.
On average, conveyancing fees range from about Dh6,000 ($1,633) to Dh8,000 plus VAT and can be paid by either the buyer or the seller, or shared.
The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario@novviproperties.com
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)
Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
