Article 2: Who Is a Landlord, a Tenant, and What Is a Tenancy Contract
Every rule in Dubai's tenancy law — who may raise the rent, who must be given notice, which properties are covered — rests on the definitions in Article 2 of Law No. 26 of 2007. Before it grants a single right, the law fixes the meaning of the words it uses: who is a landlord, who is a tenant, what counts as real property, what a lease contract is, what the rent is, and what makes a communication a valid notice. These definitions are not decoration; they decide who the law protects and how its later articles are read. This page explains each defined term in plain language and shows why it matters to landlords and tenants alike.
- Article 2 defines the landlord, tenant, sub-tenant and rent
- "Real property" covers homes and business premises alike
- A new owner mid-lease steps into the landlord's position
- A valid "notice" must use one of the recognised channels
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What Article 2 actually does
Article 2 of Law No. 26 of 2007 is the definitions article of Dubai's tenancy law: it fixes the legal meaning of the real property, the lease contract, the landlord, the tenant, the sub-tenant, the rent, the notice, RERA and the tribunal — the building blocks that every other article depends on.
The relationship between landlords and tenants in Dubai is governed by Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. Article 1 gives the law its name; Article 2 gives it its vocabulary. In one place it sets out what each central term means, so that when a later article speaks of "the landlord", "the tenant", "the real property" or "a notice", there is no doubt about who or what is meant. Getting these definitions right is the difference between a rule that applies to you and one that does not.
For everyday readers the value is practical. The definitions decide, for example, that a company can be a tenant just as an individual can; that a buyer who takes ownership while a tenant is still in place steps into the landlord's shoes; and that only certain channels turn a message into a recognised notice. Read carefully, Article 2 settles many questions before they ever become disputes.
The terms Article 2 defines
- Real property
- Immovable property and everything affixed or annexed to it that is leased out for accommodation or for carrying on a business, trade, profession or any other lawful activity. The definition deliberately covers both homes and business premises.
- Lease contract
- A contract by which the landlord is bound to let the tenant use the property for a specific purpose, over a specific term, in return for a specific consideration. Purpose, term and rent are its three essential elements.
- Landlord
- A natural or legal person entitled by law or agreement to dispose of the property. The definition expressly extends to a person to whom ownership is transferred during the lease term, to an agent or legal representative of the landlord, and to a tenant whom the landlord has permitted to sub-let.
- Tenant
- A natural or legal person entitled to use the property under a lease contract, together with any person to whom the lease is lawfully transferred from the tenant. A company can therefore be a tenant just as an individual can.
- Sub-tenant
- A natural or legal person entitled to use the property, or part of it, under a lease contract entered into with the tenant — not directly with the owner. Subletting itself requires the landlord's written consent under Article 24.
- Rent
- The specified consideration the tenant is bound to pay under the lease contract. Because it is what the contract fixed, later questions about the amount — and any permitted increase at renewal under Decree No. 43 of 2013 — are measured against it.
- Notice
- A written notification sent by one party to the other through the Notary Public, by registered post, by hand, or by any other technological means approved by law. This definition sets the recognised channels that later notice rules build on.
- RERA
- The Real Estate Regulatory Agency — the regulator within the Dubai Land Department that oversees the real-estate sector and the rent index used to assess rent increases.
- The Tribunal
- The special judicial tribunal for settling disputes between landlords and tenants. In practice today that role is performed by the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC), established by Decree No. 26 of 2013, which replaced the former rent committee.
What the definitions mean in practice
The definitions do quiet but decisive work. Because "landlord" reaches a new owner who buys the property mid-lease, a change of ownership does not shake the tenant loose — the buyer inherits the running contract and its obligations. Because "landlord" also reaches an agent or legal representative, a property manager acting with proper authority can serve valid notices on the owner's behalf. And because both "landlord" and "tenant" cover legal persons, a company on either side of the contract carries the same rights and duties as an individual.
The "notice" definition is the sleeper. It tells you which communications the law will treat as real notices — those made through the Notary Public, by registered post, by hand, or by an approved technological means. Later articles then say when and how far in advance a notice must be given: the 90-day notice to vary terms at renewal under Article 14, and the 12-month notice to evict on expiry under Article 25(2), which must go through a Notary Public or registered mail. Article 2 supplies the vocabulary; those articles supply the timing.
What the definitions mean for each side
For the landlord
- Meeting the definition of "landlord" — as owner, new owner, authorised agent or permitted sub-letting tenant — confirms who may serve notices and bring a claim
- A buyer who takes ownership during the term is a landlord bound by the existing lease, not free of it
- The "real property" definition confirms the law covers both the homes and the business premises you let
- Because "rent" is the agreed consideration, a dispute over amount turns on what the contract actually fixed
For the tenant
- Both an individual and a company can be a "tenant"; the law's protections apply to legal persons too
- A person to whom the lease is lawfully transferred remains a tenant under the law
- A sub-tenant has a defined status where the sub-lease was made with the tenant, subletting having the landlord's written consent under Article 24
- The "notice" definition tells you which communications count as a valid, recognised notice you can rely on
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Why the "notice" definition matters so much
Many tenancy disputes are lost not on the merits but on how a notice was sent. Article 2 recognises a notice made through the Notary Public, by registered post, by hand, or by an approved technological means — and a message sent outside those channels may not carry the weight of a formal notice. This matters most for the notices that trigger real consequences: the 90-day notice to vary terms at renewal under Article 14, and above all the 12-month eviction notice on expiry under Article 25(2), which the law requires to be served through a Notary Public or by registered mail. Serving the right notice the right way is often what decides whether it takes effect at all.
How the definitions play out in practice
An owner sells an apartment while the tenant is still in place.
What is usually neededThe buyer becomes the "landlord" under Article 2 and is bound by the running lease. The tenancy continues on its existing terms, and the tenant is not displaced by the sale — the point that Article 28 develops in full.
A property-management company signs and serves notices for the owner.
What is usually neededAn agent or legal representative of the landlord falls within the "landlord" definition, so a duly authorised manager can serve valid notices. The authority to act should be clear, because it is the manager's standing that gives the notice its force.
A company leases an office as its Dubai base.
What is usually neededA legal person is a "tenant" under Article 2, so the company holds the same protections and duties as an individual tenant. The office is "real property" because it is let for a lawful business activity.
A tenant lets a room to another person.
What is usually neededThat person is a "sub-tenant" where the sub-lease was entered into with the tenant. Subletting is only lawful with the landlord's written consent under Article 24; without it, the arrangement is exposed.
A landlord sends an eviction warning by an ordinary chat message only.
What is usually neededArticle 2 recognises a notice served through the Notary Public, by registered post, by hand, or by an approved technological means. Using an unrecognised channel risks the notice being treated as ineffective — a real danger for the 12-month eviction notice.
Common misunderstandings of Article 2
The mistakeAssuming a new owner can ignore the existing tenant.
The fixA buyer who takes ownership during the term is a "landlord" bound by the running lease and its obligations.
The mistakeThinking only individuals can be landlords or tenants.
The fixThe definitions expressly include legal persons, so a company can be a landlord or a tenant with the same rights and duties.
The mistakeTreating any message as a valid notice.
The fixOnly the channels in the "notice" definition are recognised; the 12-month eviction notice in particular must use the Notary Public or registered mail.
The mistakeConfusing a sub-tenant with a tenant.
The fixA sub-tenant holds under a lease made with the tenant, not the owner, and subletting needs the landlord's written consent under Article 24.
The mistakeBelieving the law only covers homes.
The fix"Real property" covers premises let for accommodation or for a business, trade, profession or other lawful activity alike.
Questions and answers
It defines the key terms the law uses. Article 2 of Law No. 26 of 2007 fixes the legal meaning of the real property, the lease contract, the landlord, the tenant, the sub-tenant, the rent, the notice, RERA and the tribunal, so every later article is read against a settled vocabulary.
A natural or legal person entitled to dispose of the property. Article 2 also extends the term to a person to whom ownership is transferred during the lease term, to an agent or legal representative of the landlord, and to a tenant permitted by the landlord to sub-let.
Yes. The definition of "tenant" covers both natural and legal persons, so a company holds the same protections and duties under the tenancy law as an individual tenant. The same is true of the "landlord" definition.
Property let for living in and for doing business. "Real property" is defined as immovable property and everything affixed to it that is leased for accommodation or for carrying on a business, trade, profession or any other lawful activity — so homes and commercial premises are both covered.
A written notification sent through one of the recognised channels. Article 2 defines a "notice" as a written notification made through the Notary Public, by registered post, by hand, or by another technological means approved by law — a message sent outside those channels may not count as a formal notice.
In substance, yes. Article 2 refers to the special tribunal for landlord–tenant disputes; that role is now performed by the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC), part of the Dubai Land Department, established by Decree No. 26 of 2013, which replaced the former rent committee.
Where MANJAZ fits in
MANJAZ is a publisher and service provider, not a court, not the Land Department, and not a law firm, and it never guarantees a particular result. What we do is practical: read a tenancy contract against the Article 2 definitions so it is clear who the landlord and tenant really are and what property is covered, check that the parties and their capacity are correctly stated, help prepare and organise the documents a matter needs, and arrange certified and legal translation where a contract or a notice must move between Arabic and other languages.
Because so many disputes trace back to a term that was misunderstood — who exactly is bound, whether a message was a real notice, whether the premises fall under the law — getting the definitions right at the outset is quiet but powerful protection. Whether you are a landlord, an authorised manager or a tenant, we help you line the facts up with the words the law actually uses.
Official sources
This content is for general information and awareness. It is based on the legislation and official sources available at the time of the last review, and procedures may differ according to the facts of each case and updates issued by the competent authorities. It is not legal advice, and MANJAZ is the publisher of this explanation, not the authority that issued the legislation.
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