Homefront: How do I tackle my Abu Dhabi neighbour's noisy parties?

Every week, a tenant in the building I rent a flat in holds a very noisy party with many guests and loud music etc. Sometimes this goes on into the early hours, keeping my family awake. I have tried to reason with this person but to no avail. I have also informed the landlord but nothing has been done. How do I manage this situation? HA, Abu Dhabi

When it comes to matters of unsociable behaviour there are a few things that can be done to eradicate this problem.

The first is to speak to the occupants to explain that their behaviour is not reasonable for others to tolerate. The second is to inform their landlord directly. As you have already tackled both of these suggestions to no avail, the third option available to you is to speak to the building management/security. They ought to speak to the occupants directly and this should be enough to either get the music/noise turned down sufficiently or closed off.

If none of this works, the final option is to call the police who, no doubt will pay a visit to the neighbours. This in itself should stop the party all-together.

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My landlord wants me to agree to a bill of Dh8,000, which he will deduct from my Dh11,000 security deposit . He sent me a quotation but I completely disagree with it because he's asking me to repair things that I had asked him to repair while I was renting the apartment. During the two years I lived there, I faced AC issues, a leaking ceiling because of the AC and mould with a horrible smell. Towards the end, we even had rats. Because he knew all of this, I assumed he would return my deposit in full but instead he told me it is my responsibility, as the tenant, to return the property in a usable condition for the next tenant. He added that he does not want to take money from me and if I agree to pay he will pay half the bill. I am still totally shocked by this. We are supposed to meet to discuss the matter further but I do not have any condition report from the first day I moved in. However, I do have pictures and videos of the problems. What do you suggest? ST, Dubai 

I always recommend face-to-face meetings to resolve differences, so it is good that you have already organised this. At this meeting, you will have to remain calm and explain to the landlord exactly what is expected of him and that it is his responsibility to repair and maintain the rented property. The tenant's deposit is only used for repairing and replacing items damaged as a direct result of the tenant's negligence.

While a property condition report would have been an excellent tool to have at your disposal, possessing the videos and photos taken on the day you moved in will also be of great help.

Remember that major maintenance is always the responsibility of the landlord while minor repairs lie with the tenant. These are often differentiated by monetary values, for example under Dh500 is regarded as minor and over this sum is major.

When vacating, a tenant has to return a property in the condition it was given at the start of the tenancy so for example, if it was freshly painted and cleaned, this is how you have to return it.

I suggest you agree to paint and clean the property but only after the landlord has repaired the AC, rectified the mould and resolved the smell.

If you did have rats, I assume you called in pest control so would have invoices, documents or photos to show evidence of this.

If the landlord insists on his stance and you still do not agree, you always have the option of filing a case at the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre. The committee will ultimately decide on the outcome but remember that it costs 3.5 per cent of the annual rental amount to open the file.

Mario Volpi is the sales and leasing manager at Engel & Volkers. He has worked in the property sector 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@engelvoelkers.com