Is my landlord allowed to increase the rent without prior notification?

  • Date: 20-Jan-2022
  • Source: Gulf News
  • Sector:Real Estate
  • Country:UAE
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Is my landlord allowed to increase the rent without prior notification?

Dubai: Are you currently renewing your rental contract, or is the renewal coming up soon? If so, can your landlord increase the rent during the renewal process without giving you notice and ask you to vacate if you cannot pay the increased rental fee? What is your right as a tenant as per the UAE law, and are you allowed to take action? A Gulf News reader facing the issue raised this query. She asked: “My contract expires on December 31 every year. A week before the expiry of my agreement, when I called my landlord asking about the renewal, he said he would increase the rent as per the current market rates. I was shocked because I was not expecting this and he did not notify me. He then said if I am unable to pay the rent, then I must vacate the premises. As per our contract, it clearly says, ‘The landlord should give written notice to the tenant three months before any rental increase according to the Dubai Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA)’. “My landlord did not give me any such notice in writing or verbally. I emailed him yesterday asking to proceed with the renewal, to