About VCM

Reference to Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019, Article 25 Service Charges is : a. An Owner will pay to the Management Entity his share of the annual Service Charges to cover the Common Parts management, operation, maintenance, and repair expenses. This share will be calculated, using the relevant method approved by the Director General, based on ratio of the area of the Owner's Unit to the total area of the Jointly Owned Real Property. A Developer will pay his share of the annual Service Charges in respect of unsold Units, and in respect of the sold Units for which he undertakes, under the provisions of the sale contract or reservation agreement, to pay the Service Charges on behalf of the purchaser. b. For the purposes of application of paragraph (a) of this Article, the Owner's share of the Service Charges will be calculated based on the area of his Unit as recorded in the Real Property Register.

In a Jointly Owned Property, the Common Areas and Facilities are the responsibility of all Owners. Without adequate funds, the community/building cannot be maintained at the standard they should be, thus impacting the value of all Owners' investments. By purchasing into a Jointly Owned Property, you have made a commitment, not just to the bank or the developer, but to every other person who has purchased in the community as well. The best way to protect your investment is to pay your fair share to ensure the community remains an attractive, efficient development.

Arrangements between Owners and Tenants regarding rent and other fees/charges are strictly between the Owner and the Tenant. The Community Management team has nothing to do with this agreement. Service Charge invoices will always be issued to the Owner, and the ultimate responsibility to pay these fees stays with the Owner, no matter his arrangement with a tenant.

Defect Liability Period (DLP) is generally a one-year commitment of the main contractor/developer to repair defective parts or faulty installation noted, raised, and recorded as snags during handover. However, depending on the contract between the Developer and the Contractor, and the terms of the Sales and Purchase Agreement, the start date of the DLP can vary. Typical commencement dates of DLP can be Substantial Completion of the Project, the Issuance of the Building Completion Certificate (BCC), or the issuance of the Settlement Letter to the customer. It is important for Owners to understand the specific terms of the DLP for their particular property. Tenants moving into a new property should request clarification from the Landlord or Management Company to understand how the DLP will impact them (i.e. contractor may need access to the property to make repairs, etc.).

Arrangements between Owners and Tenants regarding rent and other fees/charges are strictly between the Owner and the Tenant. The Community Management team has nothing to do with this agreement. Service Charge invoices will always be issued to the Owner, and the ultimate responsibility to pay these fees stays with the Owner, no matter his arrangement with a tenant.

When living in a Jointly Owned Property, it is important to remember that operations are funded through the collection of Service Charges. Annual Service Charge Budgets are created, and Owners are billed based on these Budgets. Owners Associations are not like companies which generate profit or revenue - they are designed to pay operating expenses (General Fund) and set aside money for long term, capital needs (Reserve Fund). Unbudgeted expenses - even good ones - are not always possible based on budget constraints. However, if a project is considered worthwhile, it can be considered in the drafting of the next budget.

New buildings are usually provided with a Defect Liability Period (DLP). This means that the contractor is responsible to repair defective parts or faulty installation for a certain period of time - usually one year. DLP does NOT generally cover planned preventative maintenance (PPM) for systems or general maintenance of your purchased property components. Without proper PPM, a system's warranty can be voided.

There is a common misconception in the market about newly constructed properties. The Real Estate Agent is likely referring to the Defect Liability Period (DLP). However, unless the Real Estate Agent has access to the Sales and Purchase Agreement and all handover correspondence provided to the Owner, s/he may not know the actual terms of the DLP - i.e. what is covered (general maintenance and planned preventative maintenance usually are not); how long the DLP is in effect and when did it commence; etc. Owner/tenant should specifically request this information when selecting a new property to lease.

Once the Defect Liability Period expires, the developer's contractor and subcontractors will accept no new issues for repair. Any new maintenance issues that arise will be the responsibility of the Owner and/or Tenant. If an Owner has un-resolved DLP issues that were reported prior to the DLP expiration and are not attributable to use or misuse, the contractor should resolve these issues. If you do not have a maintenance and PPM contract on the unit, it is a good idea to procure one without delay.

The responsibility for maintenance should be clearly laid out in the lease agreement. Some landlords assume responsibility for all maintenance and generally purchase a PPM and Reactive Maintenance contract with a 3rd Party Provider. Others assume responsibility for major repairs but expect the Tenant to take care of minor repairs. It is important to review the lease terms about maintenance and clearly understand what arrangements the Landlord has made with regard to emergency repairs, planned preventative and reactive maintenance. This is especially important in Jointly Owned Properties, as the Community Maintenance Team can only act in an emergency to make safe and prevent further damage.

Surplus at the end of the year is generally credited, as instructed by RERA, to Owners used to off-set deficits in previous years or reduce next year budget. If there is a deficit, then, the amount will be added to next year budget to recover the loss.

This is one of the risks of living in a building with multiple units - a flood in your unit can also flood your neighbour - and vice versa. In order to be a good neighbour (and limit your financial liability in the case of an incident) we recommend that you

Location: 14th Floor, Suite# 1408, Conrad Hotel - Sheikh Zayed Rd, Dubai, UAE, P.O. Box 121385 / Timings: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

a. Contact no. - Toll Free (800-826-823) / Email: community@vcmuae.ae / riviera@vcmuae.ae

b. Log in to https://myhoa.vcmuae.ae

Location: 14th Floor, Suite# 1408, Conrad Hotel - Sheikh Zayed Rd, Dubai, UAE, P.O. Box 121385 / Timings: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

a. Company name: Techtiq Building Maintenance LLC | Contact no. - Toll free: 800 832 4847 / Whatsapp: +971 4 388 2115 | Email: customer.care@techtiqbms.com | Website: www.techtiqbms.com