Unified rental contract to become mandatory in Dubai

Dubai Land Department (DLD) has announced the introduction of new unified property rental contact that will become mandatory for transactions from March this year.

DLD said the new form was designed to create transparency in the market, regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants and improve Dubai’s attractiveness for investments.

It was described as part of “interim steps by DLD to deal with some of the problems that may occur”.

The new contract can be downloaded from the Ejari official website and is based upon a legal framework regulating transactions including the rental law.

“Parties to the contract agreement should agree on items that meet their needs upon signing the lease for the first time,” DLD said.

The document refers to Law No. 33 regulating the relationship between landlords and tenants and clause No. 25 allowing landlords to evict tenants in case of subleasing or carrying out illegal or prohibited activities.

Law No. 26 that states property maintenance repair work and repair of any damage or defect that may affect the wellbeing of the tenant, unless otherwise agreed upon, is also included.

“There cannot therefore be a clause forcing the responsibility on one party alone,” DLD said.

“The adoption of the unified lease form comes within the framework of our continuous efforts to embed principles of transparency and benefit all parties in the real estate market. Dubai has managed to acquire a prestigious position because of the stability the city provides in terms of investments, work and daily life. This latest step by DLD contributes further to consolidating Dubai’s positive image across the globe,” said Mohammed Ahmed Yahya, deputy CEO of the Rental Affairs Sector at the DLD.

The Dubai government has introduced new regulation to the property market in recent months including the requirement for real estate brokers to obtain written authorisation from property owners before they can market units.