I have recently moved out of my apartment. I provided the rental agency in charge of the apartment with more than 60 days notice. As the agreed upon move out date approached I received zero instruction from the agency, so I contacted them to ask where I should deliver the keys, parking garage security cards, etc. The agency then emailed me a list of instructions six hours before my lease was about to expire. One of these was to submit a clearance letter from ADDC Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC). As this was a weekend, and the agency gave me such short notice to obtain the letter I could not get it for the actual move out date. However, the ADDC account was disconnected and transferred to my new apartment before the expiration of my lease. After the two business days that it takes to acquire the clearance letter I submitted it to the rental agency. The agency now claims I must pay them rent money for each day that passed that I did not submit the letter, despite the clearance letter stating that the account was closed prior to the specified end of lease date. Is it legal to charge a tenant daily rent based on a clearance letter not being submitted, even if the ADDC account was terminated prior to the end of lease? Also after moving out, the agency did not allow me to attend the inspection of the apartment despite my repeated phone calls and visits to the building. A week later I received an email listing some minor damages and charges. What recourse if any do I have to negotiate the cost of these “damages”. JC, Abu Dhabi
Every tenant has to have a clearance letter to ensure that there are no outstanding liabilities on the account after vacating; this information should be given to you by the agent or competent person in case you were not aware of this. Some real estate agencies have a lot to answer for and their level of efficiency leaves a lot to be desired. Given that the information about the clearance letter was not provided to you in a timely manner, you should challenge this two-day rent demand. I assume you do not have access to the actual landlord because I think you need to speak directly to this person in the hope he/she can see your point. The return of the deposit is the subject of many complaining letters written to me. The fact is that the property has to be returned to the landlord in the same condition as it was given to the tenant in the first place. However, to be denied access to the handover inspection smacks of incompetence again on behalf of the agency. I would seriously weigh up all the costs against the loss of part of the deposit and the two days’ rent that is being claimed to see if it is worth taking the matter further.
If a landlord has not collected the rent for a long time, even after repetitive phone reminders, is not possible the landlord might later claim that I have not paid my rent on time and initiate process to evict me from the house. How can I prove that indeed I was ready to pay and had been reminding the landlord several times through to take the rent? MM, Dubai
The situation you find yourself in is actually quite common. To counter balance this you are therefore allowed to lodge the rent cheques at either Dubai Municipality office or at the rent committee; this way it is proven that you were not withholding the rent. The office gets in touch with the landlord to inform him they have the rent cheques and he then goes to collect them from there.
I own a property in Discovery Gardens and gave my tenant a Dubai Courts’ Notary Public notice last year. The reason given on the eviction notice was because I am selling the property. However, I haven’t been able to sell my property because I haven’t been offered the price I was looking for. If my tenant doesn’t vacate the property, can I open a case against my tenant in the Rental Dispute and Settlement Centre? ZA, Dubai
I assume you have sent the 12 months notification notice to vacate at the correct time. As per law 33 of 2008, the notification has to be sent upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. If the notification was not sent at this time, there is a possibility that your tenant (if he opens a case against you) might actually be allowed to stay on until you send the notification correctly ie upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. You can also try your luck and file a case against the tenant yourself, (for not vacating) but the judge’s interpretation of law 33 of 2008 is all that matters.
Mario Volpi is the managing director of Ocean View Real Estate and has worked in the industry in the emirate and in London for the past 30 years. Send any questions to mario@oceanviewdubai.com
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information.
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Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
The years Ramadan fell in May
The five pillars of Islam
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
%3Cp%3EThe%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20-%20Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Arabic%20Language%20Centre%20will%20mark%20International%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Day%20at%20the%20Bologna%20Children's%20Book%20Fair%20with%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Translation%20Conference.%20Prolific%20Emirati%20author%20Noora%20Al%20Shammari%2C%20who%20has%20written%20eight%20books%20that%20%20feature%20in%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Education's%20curriculum%2C%20will%20appear%20in%20a%20session%20on%20Wednesday%20to%20discuss%20the%20challenges%20women%20face%20in%20getting%20their%20works%20translated.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Naga
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
The%20specs
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In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
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What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
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SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE%20SWIMMERS
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5