Sharjah has announced new real estate laws governing rents in the Emirate.
Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, issued Law No. (5) of 2024 on Property Leasing in the Emirate.
The provisions of the new law apply to properties leased for residential, commercial, industrial, or professional purposes.
Sharjah real estate laws
The laws set out rules for both landlords and tenants and extend to guidelines governing rent increases, evictions and contracts.
The rules say that landlords cannot increase rents for three years unless agreed upon by all parties. If tenants do agree a rent increase in this time it cannot be increased again for a further two years.
The law stipulates that landlords are required to certify the lease contract or any renewal of its duration and to pay the applicable fees to the municipality or the authorised entities within 15 days from the date of its drafting.
According to the law, either party in the rental relationship, in the absence of a certified lease contract, may file a claim with the Rental Disputes Centre in the Emirate of Sharjah to establish the rental relationship.
The laws go into detail of the obligations of bath landlords and tenants in Sharjah.
Among other things the law specifies the obligations of the landlord, include delivering the leased property to the tenant in a condition suitable for the intended use, carrying out necessary maintenance on the leased property, not interfering personally or through others with the tenant in a manner intended to disturb them or pressure them to vacate the leased property and returning any financial guarantees previously provided by the tenant upon the termination of the rental relationship unless they have been wholly or partially deducted for damages caused by the tennant.
Meanwhile, a tenant must pay rent on time, use the property as agreed in the lease contract, not make any changes or modifications to the leased property without obtaining written permission, maintain the leased property and conducting regular maintenance unless otherwise agreed, pay for the consumption of services and damages caused to the leased property, as well as any other fees legally required to be paid.
The new Sharjah real estate laws set out reasons for eviction from rented property in the Emirate, including:
- Failure to pay the rent within 15 days of the due date
- Violation of legal or contractual obligations and does failure to remove the violation within 30 days of notification by the landlord
- If the tenant assigns all or part of the lease contract or re-rents all or part of the leased property in violation of the provisions of the present law
- If the tenant uses the property for a purpose other than that specified in the lease contract
- If the landlord wishes to demolish the leased property or rebuild it or carry out comprehensive maintenance that prevents the tenant from being present in the property
- If the landlord wishes to occupy the leased property themselves or for a first-degree adult relatives
