How to get out of your tenancy contract
A signed tenancy contract in the emirate is not unbreakable and either party, the tenant or landlord, has the right to cancel it early.
1) Try to come to a negotiated agreement with the landlord. You might have to pay a fee to terminate a contract early, but in most cases this is the quickest resolution.
2) If that does not work, file a complaint with the Rent Committee at the Land Department. You will require your tenancy contract, a valid passport and, if applicable, a trade licence.
3) You will then be given a date for your hearing with the Rent Committee. The case could be heard months after the complaint is filed.
"Sometimes a tenant's circumstances change in that either they lose their jobs or are unhappy with living at the location," said Ludmila Yamalova, a property lawyer.
"There are avenues available to people if they want to go down that route and get out of the contract."
Ms Yamalova advises tenants to come to an agreement with their landlord before taking the matter to the Land Department, located on Baniyas Road in Deira.
"This is probably the quickest way of doing it, but the tenant should be prepared to pay a penalty for cancelling the contract early. "If this fails, then my advice would be to take the matter to the Rent Committee, but be prepared for it to take a couple of months to be resolved at the earliest."
Once a complaint has been filed with the committee, both parties will be given a date for a hearing. The committee's proceedings are in Arabic and although you do not have to appoint a lawyer to present your case, Ms Yamalova said most people do.
"The Rent Committee also has the power to renew or extend a tenancy contract if the tenant so wishes," she said.
Source: www.thenational.ae
