How to Build a Healthy Tenant-Landlord Relationship
With a consistent rise in the percentage of people living on rent in the UAE, it has become essential to understand and maintain a good landlord and tenant relationship. Property regulations and laws play the main role in establishing a contract between landlord and tenant. However, a positive relationship between the two parties is also essential to prevent conflicts.
Therefore, building a courteous relationship and abiding by laws can result in a hassle-free and long-term contract for both parties. Here, we have covered a few tips and techniques to establish a professional and mutually strong relationship between the renter and rentee.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF TENANTS AND LANDLORD
Since a successful contract and lease term depend upon how the parties fulfil their responsibilities and rights to each other. Let’s understand the roles and responsibilities that build a better relationship between the landlord and tenant.
LANDLORDS’ RESPONSIBILITIES
Landlords have many responsibilities, such as providing liveable accommodation to the occupants at a fair and reasonable monthly rent.
The following are some of the responsibilities landlords should fulfil:
- Provide a well-maintained accommodation
- Ensure the space is safe and secure
- Respond to the tenant’s request for maintenance or repairs
- Refund the security deposit when the rental contract ends
TENANTS’ ROLE
Since the tenants are temporary residents, they need to make sure the property is taken care of during their tenure. The following are some of the duties that tenants need to fulfil the guidelines in the rental agreement:
- Clear all the dues, such as electricity, gas, water, and telephone bills
- Keep the property neat and clean
- Make sure that there is no wear and tear on the floor and walls
- Pay the monthly rent on time
- Follow all the agreement guidelines
TIPS TO BUILD A BETTER TENANT-LANDLORD RELATIONSHIP
Ensuring a better relationship will have beneficial results for both parties. For instance, timely communication and being courteous to each other’s requests will resolve many of your problems. The following tips will help both parties to follow the laws and conditions without any conflict.
COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Open communication foundation for a good landlord and tenant relationship. Communicating all the guidelines and expectations upfront will ease the hurdles later. For instance, if the landlord classifies what accounts for wear and tear, it will help tenants maintain the property responsibly.
Moreover, open communication via phone calls or messages will provide an opportunity to resolve all the issues timely. Proper communication will create transparency regarding the issue and help find solutions to many problems.
BUILDING A LONG-TERM CONTRACT
It is difficult to find a good tenant who takes care of your property as their own and pays the monthly rent timely. If you find a good tenant, you can extend the contract period with conditions that favour both parties. It will result in a good landlord and tenant relationship for an extended period. Tenants will no longer need to find a home after the lease term ends and the landlords will not have to go through the listing and shortlisting process again.
DOCUMENTATION IS ESSENTIAL
Basic miscommunications and disputes can be resolved via proper documentation. Moreover, drafting a proper set of guidelines and expectations according to the Dubai Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) laws is essential to building a perfect landlord and tenant relationship when you rent an apartment in Dubai. No matter the level of trust between the parties, anything verbally communicated should also be documented.
Documentation can line up all the guidelines that help the renter and rentee abide by the law. Besides, it will be advantageous when the lease contract ends.
DETAILED ORIENTATION OF THE HOME

The landlord is responsible for a detailed tour of the property to the tenant before contract signing. Tenants must keep notes of the property to avoid future consequences and deductions in security deposit refunds.
PRE-DEFINED SCHEDULES
The property owner should care for the tenant’s privacy. Tenants need to be informed beforehand about the landlord’s visit to assess the property conditions. Moreover, both the property owner and the renter shall agree mutually to any scheduled maintenance work according to their respective feasibilities.
This guide for building a better landlord and tenant relationship will prove to be worth it when renting an apartment in the UAE. You can follow this guide to establish a long-term contract and avoid conflicts.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s top property blog to find more about tenancy laws in different emirates.