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You are about to move into a new property. What are the Landlord's obligations to prepare it? If you’re renting residential property the law states that the Landlord needs to make it habitable, nothing more. There is no legal obligation on the Landlord to clean, repaint or pest-control the Property, but they often at least repaint as a matter of good practise. If the Property (or part of it) is...

This article was published in The National. View the original here. Choosing to practise law made Ben Crompton the black sheep of his family. His mother, brother and one of his three sisters work in property, and every one of his family members owns a property portfolio. “I decided to become a lawyer probably on recommendation from friends,” says Mr Crompton, 34. “I am quite a chronological...

The markets in the Middle East are pretty jumpy at the moment, with political instability across the region, the sliding oil price and Dubai’s real estate market going into reverse. In these turbulent seas only a few islands of calm remain, and Abu Dhabi is one of them. With its solid political systems and vast oil and cash reserves there are few storms Abu Dhabi cannot weather. The emirate has an often...

Home ownership rates in Europe vary from Germany at 53% all the way to Romania at 96% (the USA is 65% and India is 86%). Most of the world owns their own home and they do that because it makes financial sense, even here in the UAE, and here is why. This is a brief summary, for the full guide please visit our website library here. Reason One – Inflation Proof Investment Inflation in the third quarter...

Abu Dhabi Law 19 of 2005 did two things, firstly it allowed Emiratis to buy and sell land (they had not been allowed to do this before that date), and secondly it created the notion of “Investment Areas” in which property can be “owned” by non-UAE Nationals. No-one apart from UAE nationals (or companies wholly owned by them (not just 51%)) can own property outside Investment Areas (which are Reem...

Fancy your own private jetty? What about an exclusive island villa? We take a look at Abu Dhabi’s most luxurious residential developments. Now where did we put our checkbook? The Hills Few have heard of The Hills development near the Grand Mosque and the Armed Forces Officers Club and even fewer know the complex is home to luxurious five-bedroom villas. With sweeping staircases and stunning hallways,...

This article originally featured in Abu Dhabi Week in January 2014. It is written by Ben Crompton a former lawyer and current managing partner of Crompton Partners Estate Agents LLC. So when it comes to residents’ questions about and lord’s obligations and the rules on subleasing, he’s your man. Read the original article in Abu Dhabi Week here I’m about to move into a new property. What...

1. The Market in the UAE Expatriates can buy in several areas in the UAE, namely Saadiyat, Reem Island, Raha Beach, Al Reef, Hydra and al Ghadeer, these areas are discussed in more detail in our “Guide to Buying Property in Abu Dhabi”. Visit our entire Guide Library here. Like the rest of the world Abu Dhabi’s housing market peaked in 2008/9 and then went through four years of consolidation...

Renting in Abu Dhabi is full of mis-information, smoke and mirrors to catch the unwary. Here is your complete guide, step by step, to renting a property. Never be confused again. This is an abbreviated version of the guide, for the full guide please email guides@cpestateagents.com. When To Start Looking - The best time to start looking will be a month to three weeks before you want to...

The Abu Dhabi rent cap was first introduced in 2006 by what has become known as the Tenancy Law. Set at 7 per cent per year, it meant tenancy agreements coming up for annual renewal could only be subject to a maximum 7 per cent rent increase. This was later tightened to 5 per cent in 2010 to combat rental rates that were spiraling out of control because of an expanding population and very little...