Several prospective tenants in Dubai have been duped out of thousands of dirhams as a property firm they dealt with disappeared overnight with their cash.
Dubai Municipality Rent Committee confirmed that it has received several complaints against a certain ‘J&E Properties’ and investigations have been launched into the cases, Dubai-based tabloid 7Days reported.
At least two prospective tenants have come forward claiming they have lost in excess of Dh100,000.
Tenants are claiming that the agents representing the firm showed them properties, signed contracts and in many cases they paid cheques worth the entire year’s rent to the agents.
One of the victims, Mashhood Hamid, 62, from Pakistan claims that he paid Dh140,000 for a year’s rent and other fees after signing a contract to rent an apartment.
However, when he contacted the realtor like many others, he was told that the firm is closed for three days due to a bereavement.
Hamid was supposed to move in by July 5 according to the agreement. But so far he hasn’t got the keys to the flat and the agents are nowhere to be seen.
“I went to the office and met another five or six people looking for the agents. The company said the office was closed for three days, but I tried to contact them continuously for about 10 days and all the phones were switched off.”
Lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, who specialises in property law, said: “I recommend you never give cheques addressed to the estate agent. They should always be addressed to the landlord. The agent’s commission should either be paid by the landlord or the tenant should pay it separately.”
She added all legitimate agencies must be registered and approved by Rera.