Dubai tenants drill away deposits; landlords cash in on damage

When Stephen Johnson vacated his one-bed apartment in Dubai Marina, little did he know that he would never get his security deposit of Dh5,000 back.

“I had drilled holes in the wall to put up the curtain rods and hang my paintings. I had even got the apartment coloured and carpeted. But after two years when I decided to move out, my landlord plainly refused to return my full security deposit. Instead, he just gave me back Dh1,000.”

The landlord, Johnson said, deducted Dh1,500 for re-painting the apartment, Dh1,000 to replace and clean the tiles and Dh1,500 to fix the holes drilled into the wall.

“So, in fact, I was charged around Dh80 to fix the holes. I argued but to no avail. The landlord did not budge and handed me a Dh1,000 cheque.”

Such incidents are on the rise. Farhan Rahim got a scholarship to study in the United States. Since he had to join the university by early February, he gave a two-month contract termination notice according to the rent contract clause. His landlord did promise to return him his security deposit before he left the country. But, to date, he hasn’t.

“I was told that I would get back my Dh2,000 security deposit before I leave the country. But I didn’t get my money. Last month, the landlord informed me that he had paid for colouring and repairing of the apartment and his expense had been much more than my deposit, asking me to send him Dh300,” Rahim said.

Landlords, however, say they are within their rights and tenants have to repair or pay for any major damage to the apartment.

“I won’t deduct any money from the deposit for any normal wear and tear in the apartment. But when we inspect and find that windows are broken, lots of holes have been drilled in the wall and the apartment has been left in a filthy state, we have to pay to get things repaired before putting the unit back in the market,” says S Ahmed, who owns an apartment in a building in Dubai Marinia.

He states: “When my tenant left, I found my apartment was infested and window had cracks on them. I had to fumigate the apartment and replace the window glasses. And I had to pay much more than the deposit I had.”

What the Law No. 26 of 2007 regulating relationship between Landlords and Tenants states:

The landlord is at liberty to collect a security deposit from the tenants to guarantee and/or cover the condition of the premises at the end of the tenancy contract, provided the landlord undertakes to refund the security deposit, or any part thereof after deduction for any works/repairs within a reasonable period, upon returning possession to the landlord.

A tenant is obliged, upon expiry of the tenancy, to return the premises to the landlord in a good condition with only reasonable wear and tear. Any dispute over the condition of the premises shall be decided upon by the Rents Committee if no agreement is reached.

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