The landlord and tenant relationship is governed by the lease contract entered into between the parties. All major responsibilities of the parties involved, are enshrined in this contract. However, the Dubai Tenancy Law lays down certain provisions containing the responsibilities of the tenants and the landlords, forming a guide to the terms of the lease contract.

Obligations of the landlord:

As per the Tenancy Law, the landlords have the following obligations:

  1. The landlord must allow the tenant to enjoy all the amenities in the property, such as swimming pool, gym, sports hall, health club etc.
  2. The landlord must notify the tenant, in case of any proposed amendment to the contract, at least 90 days before the expiry of the contract.
  3. The Landlord must handover the real estate in useable good condition so as to enable the tenant to acquire the benefit subject of the lease contract.
  4. The landlord must, during the validity of the contract, ensure maintenance of property and the reparation of any defect or fault that affects the tenant’s sought benefit, unless both parties otherwise agree.
  5. The landlord must provide the tenant with all the required approvals to submit the same to the competent authorities in Dubai whenever he wishes to carry out decoration works to the real estate or other works which require such approvals, provided that such works does not affect the constructional structure of the premises and that the tenant has the official documents indicating the application for said approvals.
  6. The landlord must not stop the supply of services to property, or prevent the tenant from benefiting from the premises in any way whatsoever.
  7. In case of transfer of ownership of the property to a new owner, the tenant will be allowed to continue occupying the property, in accordance with the lease contract signed with the previous owner, provided that said contract has a fixed date
  8. If the property is demolished and reconstructed or renovated by the landlord, the tenant will have priority to return to the real estate.

Obligation of the tenant:

The tenant also has certain responsibilities as provided by the law and listed below:

  1. The tenant must pay the rent as per the date and as per the instructions in the contract
  2. The tenant must not carry out any modifications to the property without the permission of the landlord and before obtaining the necessary approvals from the competent authorities.
  3. The tenant must not carry out any modifications to the property that affects the constructional structure of the premises
  4. The tenant must preserve the property in a way an ordinary person preserves the own properties
  5. At the expiry of the tenancy/lease contract, the tenant must return property to the landlord in the same condition in which it was handed over to him, except for shortages resulting from normal use or for reasons beyond his control.
  6. Upon eviction and handing over of the real estate, the tenant may not remove any improvements he had fixed, unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties.
  7. The tenant must not sublet the property to a third party without the written consent of the landlord.

Conclusion

The clear responsibilities of landlords and tenant under the UAE tenancy law has been key in reducing disputes between the parties. Whatever the issues that arise regarding rent, lease period, maintenance, or compliance with other terms of the contract, both parties benefit from clear transparent provisions and proper documentations.