Dubai residents are warned not to fall prey to fake attested
tenancy contracts online. The legal implication of purchasing such a document
is not worth the risk, as it may include prison time, or worse, being deported
and banned from the UAE.
In March 2010, it was announced that all rental contracts must
be registered with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA); however, those unable
to rent their own place have resorted to illegal means in order to sponsor
family members.
As Mr. Michael Barney Almazar, of Gulf Law states, “claiming you’re
unaware that the tenancy contract is fake is not an excuse, especially if you’re
not actually occupying the premises.” Whether you forged the document or
purchased the document for use, both cases are punishable by law.
Laws have been put in place to regulate the eligibility of sponsoring
family members in the UAE, to ensure that the sponsor is financially able to
provide basic needs to his or her family.
For those who are not eligible to sponsor a spouse, it’s best
that their spouse find employment, which would provide them with an employment
visa. Should circumstances change, one can transfer to the visa sponsorship of
the other spouse.
Now that the Ejari lease registration is linked to the immigration
server, authorities are now able to verify who the real occupant or holder of
the property is as per the tenancy agreement.
Source: The
National
