My landlord won't return my deposit. He promised to fix things before we moved and never did. I have record of this information. Six months into our lease, he decided to sell the place. We were forthcoming and gave up many Saturdays to let in future buyers. Given the hassle of showing the place to future buyers and his unresponsiveness to fix things, we decided to move out. The place was sold at the same time we were moving out. He asked to let the bank in to appraise the place. I gave him a key because we had already move out. He had never met with me to collect the other set of keys and I still access to the villa. I have been trying to get my deposit back since we moved out, but at first his older brother died and he had to leave the country. Last week, I received an email asking me to pay for repainting the place. I agreed to it, which meant that he will deduct Dh1,200 from the deposit. After I agreed to repainting, I asked when I will get the rest of my deposit. He asked me if I had cancelled the Ejari, but I informed him that I had never got one and he has since disappeared. What should I do in this matter as I am very upset about being taken advantage of by an evil landlord. OA, Dubai
As is the case in most situations, communication and diplomacy rules the day. Patience is also a virtue that is very much needed as you have already seen, frustrations are abound from each corner turned. Because you have already attempted to communicate your points with the landlord, which has now fallen on deaf ears, and given the fact that you have been more than accommodating regarding access to the property by allowing to use some of the deposit to re-paint, I believe it is time to show your intention by filing a case at the Rental Dispute Settlement Committee (RDSC). Initially, you will have to weigh up the time, cost and effort in doing so against the actual deposit due. Sometimes tenants decide not to go through with the procedure as in some cases the deposit amount doesn’t cover the actual costs of the case. This is obviously your decision but if you decide to do nothing, this will mean you will probably never see the remainder of your deposit again. It is illegal for the landlord to keep any tenant's deposit without prior justification and reason. Sadly, this scenario is all too common and it is high time that landlords realise their responsibility to their tenants and that the holding of the deposit is only for reasons of any future expenses for repairs/repainting etc. after the tenant has vacated.
I have reserved an apartment in Sharjah and my contract is supposed to start on August 1. I have already paid the advance booking, however when I visited the apartment the other day somebody else was staying there and he told me that he took this apartment around a week ago. After that I went to the real estate company's office and their manager told us that my booking was taken by an agent they are not aware of. Please tell me urgently what I should do because I need to shift from my current apartment at the end of this month. I have an advance payment receipt with the mentioned flat number. MM, Sharjah
In your situation, you have two choices. Go to the real estate company office and do not leave until the agent you dealt with sorts this out or you request your money back and look for another suitable property. I suspect that the availability of other options will surely determine which course of action you will take. Either way, you still have time before your deadline of August 1 to resolve the issue.
Mario Volpi is the chief sales officer for Kensington Exclusive Properties and has worked in the property industry for over 30 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@kensington.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Dubai World Cup Carnival card:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 | 2,410 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m
Company%20Profile
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani