The Dispute Desk

Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is episode forty. In the last episode, we separated a regulatory complaint from a contractual refund route. Today, we close this run by separating four project labels buyers often treat as interchangeable. As always, this is general information, not legal advice. A handover date has passed. The site looks quiet. One buyer says the project...

Here’s a condensed version that keeps the key distinctions while fitting under 2,500 characters : Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is episode thirty-nine. In the last episode, we built a defect-by-defect repair history. Today we look at a commonly misunderstood question: can a DLD or RERA complaint obtain a contractual refund? As always, this is general information, not l...

Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is Episode 38. In the last episode, we built the escrow and payment trail. Today, we move from the ledger to the unit: what happens when a snag is marked “closed,” but the problem is still there? As always, this is general information, not legal advice. A buyer identifies 27 snags. Later, the developer’s portal shows 24 as closed. But on i...

Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is episode thirty-seven. Last episode, we separated inspection, acceptance and final payment. Today, we follow the money—from payment instruction and beneficiary to receipt, project and developer ledger. As always, this is general information, not legal advice. A common dispute starts simply: the buyer says, “I paid,” but the developer can...

Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is Episode 36. In the last episode, we separated a payment demand from the construction record. Today, the developer says the unit is ready and wants final payment before the buyer has properly inspected it. As always, this is general information, not legal advice. A handover appointment can involve several separate events: readiness notic...

Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is episode thirty-five. In the last episode, we looked at proving what changed in the property. Today, the issue is different: another instalment is due while construction appears behind. As always, this is general information, not legal advice. A buyer receives a payment demand, looks at the site and thinks: “If construction is late, why...

Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is episode thirty-four. Last episode, we built the handover chronology. Today, the issue is different: the unit, size, layout, view or amenities appear to have changed. As always, this is general information, not legal advice. The goal is to make the record clear before anyone changes position. A buyer may say: the apartment looks smaller,...

Here’s a shorter, cleaner version suitable for the podcast and comfortably under 2,500 characters: Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is Episode 33. Last episode, we separated the Oqood certificate from the official register entry. Today, we look at another common off-plan issue: a handover date that keeps moving . As always, this is general information, not legal advice. I...

Here’s a shorter, cleaner version under 2,500 characters while preserving the key distinctions and professional podcast tone: Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is Episode 32. In Episode 31, we looked at buyers who paid a reservation amount but still had no completed SPA. Today, we move to the next record: Oqood and Dubai’s Interim Property Register. As always, this is gene...

DISPUTE.AE — EPISODE 31 I Paid, But I Have No SPA Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul. The first thirty episodes covered developer and rental disputes. In the next ten, we return to buyer–developer disputes—starting with a common situation: a buyer reserves a Dubai off-plan property, makes a payment, receives a receipt, but the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) does not follow. As alw...

Here’s a shorter, tighter version under 2,500 characters: If resolution fails, the next step is to file properly . Dubai’s Rental Dispute Centre (RDC) is designed specifically to handle rental disputes efficiently. The goal of trying structured resolution first is not to avoid the RDC, but to make sure that if you file, you arrive prepared, with a clear case and evidence showing that reasonable at...

Here’s a shorter rephrased version under 2,500 characters: “I'm not renewing your contract” does not automatically end a Dubai tenancy. Under Article 6 of Dubai’s tenancy law, if a tenant remains in the property after the contract expires and the landlord does not take the legally required steps, the tenancy may renew on the same terms or for one year, whichever is shorter. Contract expiry alone i...

Fifteen episodes reduce to one clear sequence: attempt structured resolution first. If it fails, file properly. If neither option makes practical sense, walk away. That is pre-legal rental dispute resolution — resolving the issue before formal escalation. The idea is not new. Legal systems around the world use demand letters, conciliation and settlement stages before court proceedings. Dubai follo...

The third branch is the one nobody sells: walk away . Some rental disputes are simply not worth resolving or filing. The amount may be too small, the evidence too weak, or even a successful judgment may be difficult to enforce. A process that never recommends walking away is a funnel. At dispute.ae , stopping can be a legitimate outcome. We assess three things. 1. The number Look beyond the claim...

Shortened Version — Under 2,500 Characters This is the episode where we tell you not to hire anyone — including us. Some rental disputes are simple enough that the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC) process is all you need. When the documents are clean, the defect is obvious, and the evidence speaks for itself, professional intervention may add cost without improving the outcome. Here are three common ex...

Shortened Version The Rental Dispute Centre’s first question is not who is right. It is whether your tenancy exists on paper. In Dubai, Ejari is the starting point . A registered tenancy is a legal requirement and, practically, the RDC expects the tenancy to be registered before a rental dispute can move forward. No Ejari can mean your first problem is regularising the tenancy before the actual di...

An eviction notice has a memory. If a landlord recovers a property for personal use and then re-lets it within the statutory bar period, the evicted tenant may have a compensation claim. And unlike many rental disputes, the evidence can be surprisingly straightforward: the new listing. If you left under a personal-use eviction notice, diarise the bar period and monitor property portals. The law al...

Here’s a shorter, tighter version that stays under 2,500 characters while preserving the core message and episode tone: Everything in this series works with the chairs swapped. A landlord facing unpaid rent has the same three branches as a tenant: attempt structured resolution at a fixed cost, file properly if it fails, or write it off if the honest answer is neither. Let’s be clear about what thi...

There is no automatic legal right to end a Dubai tenancy early. Your tenancy agreement governs the relationship, it may contain an early termination clause, and where it does not, the outcome usually depends on negotiation. Tenants who simply abandon a property often lose their strongest bargaining position, while those who propose a structured exit are far more likely to protect their deposit and...

Under Dubai tenancy law, the landlord is generally responsible for maintenance and repairs that affect the tenant’s use of the property, unless the tenancy contract states otherwise. Those few words are where most maintenance disputes begin. Whatever the issue, one rule stays the same: never stop paying rent. Article 16 places maintenance on the landlord by default, but most tenancy contracts shif...

Most tenancy deposit disputes in Dubai are not caused by landlords refusing to pay—they are caused by delay and silence. That is why a documented demand often achieves more than an immediate legal filing. A tenancy deposit exists to secure the tenant's obligations at the end of the lease. Once the property is returned in the agreed condition, the deposit should be refunded. It is not an additional...

Welcome back to dispute.ae . A rent increase in Dubai is not a negotiation—it is a calculation. It must comply with the RERA Rental Index and be served with 90 days' written notice before the tenancy renewal date. If either rule is missed, the increase may not be enforceable. Two rules decide almost every rent increase dispute. First is the RERA slab system under Decree No. 43 of 2013 . The amount...

Welcome back to The Title Deed Desk . In Episode 17, we covered what happens to a title deed after the owner's death. Today, in Episode 18, we're looking at the question behind almost every property transaction: What if you're not in Dubai? This episode is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. A Power of Attorney (POA) is a significant legal document and should always be drafted c...

Filing a rental case in Dubai costs 3.5% of your annual rent , with a minimum of AED 500 and a maximum of AED 20,000 , before administrative charges, translation costs, or the time the process requires. A structured resolution attempt costs AED 2,499 plus VAT , fixed. Once annual rent exceeds roughly AED 71,000 , attempting resolution is cheaper than paying the filing fee alone. Every rental dispu...

Welcome back to the dispute.ae podcast. I’m Paul, and this is the first episode in our rental disputes series. Pre-legal rental dispute resolution is a structured attempt to resolve a tenancy disagreement before anyone files a case. It means assessing the position, reviewing the evidence, sending a properly drafted demand, allowing time for a response, and deciding honestly whether the matter shou...