Dubai resolves 8,713 rental disputes in first half of 2021

Emirate's Rental Dispute Centre addressed cases within a seven-day window on average, emirate's land department says

The Dubai skyline. Dubai's Rental Disputes Centre resolved disputes with a combined value of Dh2.53 billion ($688.8 million) in the first half of the year. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The Rental Disputes Centre, the judicial arm of the Dubai Land Department, resolved 8,713 disputes with a combined value of Dh2.53 billion ($688.8 million) in the first half of the year.

The centre managed to resolve the cases within a seven-day window on average, making it an international reference point for “speedy settlement”, it said on Monday.

“RDC is moving forward … according to contemporary foundations that elevate the mechanisms of addressing this type of contractual relations through a specialised judicial system that keeps pace with the development witnessed by the emirate,” said Abdulqader Mousa, director of the RDC.

“Rental disputes are resolved quickly and accurately, ensuring social and economic stability for all those involved.”

The UAE property market, which had softened amid the Covid-19 pandemic, has been recovering steadily on the back of supportive government measures, the coming Expo 2020 and growing demand for larger homes amid a rise in remote working.

Dubai's property market has registered an increase in deal activity over the past few months. House prices in the emirate rose at their fastest pace in seven years in the second quarter of 2021, according to a recent report from Knight Frank.

Industry stakeholders also expect the Dubai rental market to remain busy over the summer as people consider moving to better properties before the school year begins.

The DLD also announced a draft law in April that is set to keep rents unchanged for a three-year period. The proposal aims to ensure the fair valuation of property and also resolve disputes between renters and owners, according to the DLD.

The DRC resolved 61,555 primary rent cases from 2015 to the end of 2020, representing only 2 per cent of the 4.28 million Ejari contracts registered with the DLD during the period.

This underscores “the community's confidence in the laws and legislative system in the emirate”, the DLD said on Monday.