A property broker has been fined Dh50,000 by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) at the Dubai Land Department for making cold calls and doing direct telemarketing.
Rera has also suspended nine agents who have been helping the property broker for the last three months. The broker’s identity has not been revealed.
Several companies have been warned in the past even to stop harassing customers by contacting them to advertise properties.
On Friday, 29 April, Rera said that it would take all legal measures against any firm that will not take this warning seriously.
The rental regulatory stated that it is “eager to provide a secure real estate environment for customers and investors without the inconvenience of malicious or spam calls made by real estate brokerage offices to promote or market their services.”
Rera has revealed a “Green List” service on the Dubai REST application along which spam calls can be reported.
The agency further said, “This contributes to eradicating unwanted communication from real estate brokers and assuring effective communication only when needed.”
Various transactions have picked up in the Dubai property market in the last few months as it retrieves from the coronavirus-induced slowdown.
Dubai recorded 25,972 property transactions during the first three months of 2022, which is the highest number of quarterly deals since 2010, as per Mo’asher, the emirate’s official sales price index administered by the Dubai Land Department in partnership with Property Finder.
Some renters have reported that they have been given notice of rental increases of almost 50% to renew their contracts, often the legal limit set by the officials, by rogue landlords.
But, Rera has transparent rules for tenants and landlords. A Rera rental increase calculator gives an average cost indication for tenants of what they should expect to pay and how much the rent can be increased by landlords.
Rental increases are limited to 20% a year, depending on market price changes in a particular area.