Dubai: Is subletting legal in Dubai? And if so, what are the procedures you need to follow to sub lease a part of your home to someone else? These were the questions raised by a Gulf News reader.
He wrote in to Gulf News, asking: “I am living in Dubai in a two-bedroom apartment. My family moved back to India a few months ago, and I now have a spare bedroom. I do not wish to move out of the apartment, as we like it a lot and my family may return to the UAE to join me later. However, in the meantime, a friend of mine wanted to move in and said that he would pay the rent for the one room in which he will be living. I wanted to know if it is legal for me to let my friend live with me under this arrangement. I have the Ejari under my name, do I need to apply for a permit? If yes, what is the process and will it be expensive? Please advise.”
Dubai: We have all found ourselves in the situation – a close friend or acquaintance is in financial need and asks for help. It could be a request for anything from Dh500 to Dh50,000, with a gentleman’s agreement to return it within a set period of time. But what happens when the informal contract is violated? This was the query raised by a Gulf News reader.
He said: “I lent Dh7,000 to a friend earlier this year, when he was in financial stress. Now, when I am asking him to repay the loan, he is either not picking up my calls or telling me that he is still not in a position to return the money. I also have a family here and the money is important for me. What can I do to get my money back? I have Whatsapp conversations with him when he asked me for the money. I paid him in cash. Can I file a police complaint and is there any other way to get my money back? I don’t want to get him in trouble, but I also really need him to return my money. What I should do?”