‘Can I challenge my eviction if I suspect the owner is being dishonest?’
Q
I have been living in a villa in Dubai for the past seven years. During my last renewal, my landlord made me sign a letter that I would vacate the villa in one year. He told me this was the one-year eviction notice and he would re-let the villa at a higher price.
I have now come to know that he can only ask me to leave for specific reasons and the notice needs to come through Dubai Courts.
I feel manipulated and am looking for advice on whether I have grounds to dispute this.
I offered to pay a higher rent according to the Real Estate Regulatory Agency’s calculator, but he now claims that he is going to renovate the villa and move in with his family.
Do you think Rera would be supportive of my position and favour the tenant in this situation? MN, Dubai
A
The UAE law is not set on precedent and any judgment is given solely by a presiding judge at the time of any court hearing.
The only way to legally request a tenant to vacate a rented property is by sending a 12-month notice through a notary or registered mail.
You are, therefore, correct that the letter you signed is not valid, given you are now disputing the eviction.
The key to finding a solution is to file a case at the Rent Dispute Settlement Committee.
But before this happens, the court will ask the concerned parties to find a compromise. Given your mistrust of the landlord, this might be difficult.
The landlord does have a right to renovate and subsequently move in. However, you will need to be informed of this through the proper channel and be given 12 months’ notice.
A judge may request the landlord to serve you an eviction notice properly, but after this 12-month period expires, you will most likely have to leave.
I purchased an apartment in August last year and informed the tenant in situ of my intention to move in through their email address stated in the lease contract.
I also sent my tenant WhatsApp messages about my decision for not renewing the current contract at the end of its term, which was December 26.
However, my real estate agency informed me at the time that my tenant was planning to buy an apartment and, hence, I did not need to send an eviction notice.
The agency now tells me that
It is unfortunate that your agent did not advise you on the correct procedure of informing the tenant if you intended to move into the apartment.
The legal way to request an eviction of a tenant is to send a notarised letter and/or registered mail stating the reason. The notice should be for a period of at least 12 months.
Sending emails and/or WhatsApp messages are not considered a legal eviction notice, so these don’t count.
Your option now is to send this notice using the proper channels, giving the 12-month notice to vacate for the reason of moving in yourself.
This will delay your plans, so an alternative could be to arrange a direct meeting with your tenant to see if you can come to some agreement to ensure a vacant possession.
This could take the form of some monetary compensation to entice the tenant to vacate sooner. If this doesn’t work, your only option is to wait for 12 months after sending the notice in the correct manner.
my tenant could not buy the apartment and does not want to leave my property.
What can I do under these circumstances? Can I use the email and WhatsApp communication as a basis for eviction? SG, Dubai
Chinese car brands are now ubiquitous on UAE roads. However, Geely was one of the early pioneers, setting up shop here in 2015. The brand has since carved steady inroads into the local market, thanks to its well-built offerings.
Among the new additions is the Geometry C, an electrified compact crossover hatchback that pairs a 201hp/310Nm synchronous electric motor with a 53kWh battery pack in the GS base model, and a 70kWh pack in the GF range-topper. The former offers a claimed touring range of 350km on a full charge, while the latter can cover 480km.
The Geometry C doesn’t gel visually – to my eye, at least – but the driving experience is far better than expected. It offers a level of refinement and composure that could easily prompt the vehicle’s occupants to feel as though they’re ensconced within a German offering.
There’s genuine ease of operation as the passive entry and start means I can just open the door, plonk down on the seat and slot the Mercedes-style column shifter into “D”, or “R” if needs be, and I’m off. It doesn’t take too many kilometres to glean that Geometry C has a structural integrity about it. Road surface imperfections are comfortably dealt with, and very little ambient noise permeates into the cabin.
More impressive still is how crisp the car is in all its responses. The steering has a nice weighting and accuracy to it, while the brake and throttle pedals are also well-modulated.
However, I really dislike the lane-keeping assistance feature, which is overaggressive to the point of being unnerving. My immediate response is to deactivate it, as the system reacts so violently that it’s more hindrance than help.
Although not pitched as a sporty offering, the Geometry C isn’t averse to speed and the fact it weighs under 1.7 tonnes means there isn’t an excess of mass for the chassis to overcome. The 201hp/310Nm electric power train punches above its weight, so the Geometry C prompts an involuntary grin the first time I flatten the throttle. Geely quotes a 0-100kph split of under seven seconds, and it certainly feels every bit that quick from behind the wheel.
There’s a quality feel to the Geely’s cabin, with soft-touch materials used throughout the interior. Faux aluminium highlights and gloss-black trim on the centre console contrast nicely with the two-tone black
and cream upholstery. The quilted leather seats look good and are comfortable.
Nestled behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel is seemingly the world’s smallest instrument panel, but it presents all the key info – speed, battery charge level, remaining range and drive mode.
The high-resolution infotainment system is fairly straightforward, but it’s a tad annoying to have to scroll through a couple of screens just to change the fan or AC temperature settings. A wireless phone charging pad and USB port are handy features, and so is the head-up display in the flagship model.
There’s enough room in the rear seats for a couple of adults, while a boot capacity of 417 litres is adequate.
Prices in the UAE start at Dh129,900 for the GS base model, with the fully loaded 70kWh GF variant priced at Dh149,000.
The range-topping Geometry C undercuts the entry-level Tesla Model 3 by about Dh30,000, although the American offering serves up a 513km range in base spec and is a bigger car in all major dimensions. There’s much to like about the Geely Geometry C – it goes, stops and steers with an impressive level of precision and finesse, and its interior packaging is also up to the mark. The only thing that’s lacking is visual pizzazz, as other Chinese brands such as Zeekr, HiPhi and Jetour have been knocking it out of the park on the styling front with their latest models.
Perhaps Geely needs to poach a top designer from one of the premium Euro brands?