Article 7: A Tenancy Cannot Be Cancelled by One Side Mid-Term
A signed tenancy is not a promise either side can drop at will. Article 7 of Law No. 26 of 2007 states that where a lease contract is valid, it may not be terminated by the unilateral will of the landlord or the tenant during its term — it ends early only by mutual consent or in accordance with the provisions of the law. That single rule holds the whole relationship together: it stops a landlord evicting a tenant mid-term on a whim, and it stops a tenant walking away from the rent without consequence. This page explains what the article says, the lawful ways a tenancy can still be ended before its term is up, and what the principle means in practice for both landlord and tenant.
- A valid tenancy cannot be terminated by one party alone during its term
- It ends early only by mutual consent or a route the law allows
- The landlord's lawful mid-term route is the Article 25(1) eviction grounds
- Self-help — changing locks or cutting utilities — is never a lawful exit
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Can a tenancy be cancelled by one side during its term?
No. Under Article 7 of Law No. 26 of 2007, a valid tenancy contract cannot be cancelled by one party acting alone while it is still running; it can be brought to an early end only by the mutual consent of both sides or through a route that the law itself allows.
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 7 sets out the binding force of the tenancy: once a valid contract is in place, neither the landlord nor the tenant may simply declare it over before the term expires. Ending it requires either the agreement of both parties, or one of the specific mechanisms the law provides — most importantly the during-term eviction grounds in Article 25(1).
The word that matters most in the article is "unilaterally". Article 7 does not lock a tenancy in place forever, and it does not say a contract can never end early. What it forbids is one side ending the contract by its own will alone. A tenant who wants to leave, or a landlord who wants the property back, is not without options — but those options run through agreement or through the law, not through a one-sided decision.
What Article 7 actually says
In plain terms, Article 7 provides that where a lease contract is valid, it may not be unilaterally terminated during its term by the landlord or the tenant, and that it can be terminated only by mutual consent or in accordance with the provisions of the law. Three ideas are packed into that one sentence, and each of them does work.
First, the contract must be "valid" — a genuine, properly formed tenancy that meets the law's requirements, including the written, registered contract that Article 4 calls for. Second, the bar is on ending it "unilaterally": by the will of one party alone, without the other's agreement and without a legal ground. Third, the article names the only two lawful exits — mutual consent, or a termination that the law itself permits. Anything outside those two channels is not a lawful way to end a tenancy before its term is up.
What Article 7 means in practice
In everyday terms, Article 7 makes the tenancy binding for its full agreed period on both sides equally. It is the reason a landlord cannot force a sitting tenant out mid-contract just because a higher-paying tenant appears, and the reason a tenant cannot stop paying and hand back the keys halfway through the year with no further liability. The contract the parties signed is treated as the law between them for its term — a principle courts describe as the contract being binding on those who make it.
That does not mean a tenancy can never end early — it means an early end has to be lawful. In practice, an early exit takes one of a small number of shapes: the two sides agree to end it (often with a documented settlement or an agreed penalty), the tenant relies on an early-termination clause the contract already contains, or one side goes to the Rental Disputes Centre on a ground the law recognises. Each of those is consistent with Article 7. What the article rules out is the shortcut of simply announcing that the contract is over.
The lawful ways to end a tenancy early
- Mutual consent
- The landlord and tenant agree to end the tenancy before its term. This is the cleanest route and is expressly allowed by Article 7. It is best recorded in writing, setting out the handover date, the treatment of the deposit and any advance rent, and any agreed compensation, so nothing is left to memory.
- An early-termination (break) clause
- Some contracts contain a clause that lets a party exit early on stated conditions — typically a notice period and a penalty. Using such a clause does not offend Article 7, because both sides agreed the exit terms when they signed; the termination is consensual, not one-sided. Read the clause carefully before relying on it.
- A ground the law provides (Article 25)
- During the term, the law lets a landlord seek eviction only on the specific grounds in Article 25(1) — for example non-payment after a 30-day notice, illegal use, or subletting without written consent — pursued through the Rental Disputes Centre. Separately, eviction on expiry follows the four Article 25(2) grounds with twelve months' notarised notice.
What it means for each side
For the landlord
- You cannot cut a tenancy short mid-term to raise the rent or bring in a new tenant
- To recover the property during the term you must use an Article 25(1) ground through the Centre
- Article 7 also protects you: a tenant cannot simply walk away from the rent before the term ends
- A written mutual-termination agreement is the safe way to release a tenant early
For the tenant
- You are protected against a sudden mid-term cancellation by the landlord
- If you need to leave early, rely on a break clause or negotiate a mutual termination
- Leaving without either can leave you liable for the remaining rent or a penalty
- The landlord cannot use self-help — locks or utilities — to push you out
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Ending a tenancy is never a self-help act
Because Article 7 blocks a one-sided termination, the pressure tactics that sometimes follow are also unlawful. A landlord may not change the locks, remove the tenant's belongings, or disconnect water, electricity or cooling to force a tenant out — cutting services and disturbing the tenant's use are separately prohibited (Article 34), and the tenant may report the matter to the police and claim damages before the Rental Disputes Centre. The only lawful path to recover a property from a tenant who will not leave is through the Centre, on a ground the law recognises. The same discipline protects the landlord in reverse: a tenant cannot escape the contract by abandoning the property, and remains bound by it until it is lawfully ended.
How Article 7 plays out in practice
A tenant on a 12-month lease is relocated to another emirate after five months.
What is usually neededBecause the contract is binding for its term, the tenant cannot simply stop paying. The practical routes are to invoke any early-termination clause in the contract, or to negotiate a mutual termination with the landlord — often agreeing a notice period, a penalty and the return of the deposit.
A landlord receives a higher offer and asks the current tenant to leave immediately.
What is usually neededA better offer is not a lawful ground under Article 7. The landlord cannot end the tenancy mid-term for this reason; the tenant is entitled to remain for the agreed term, and any change would have to be by genuine agreement, not pressure.
A tenant stops paying rent and the landlord wants the unit back during the term.
What is usually neededNon-payment is one of the Article 25(1) grounds — a lawful, law-provided route rather than a unilateral cancellation. The landlord serves the required notice to pay and, if it is not met, files at the Rental Disputes Centre; the tenancy is ended by the Centre, consistently with Article 7.
Both parties agree, mid-term, to end the tenancy amicably.
What is usually neededThis is exactly the mutual-consent exit Article 7 allows. The safe practice is a short written agreement recording the end date, the handover, the deposit and any settlement, and updating the Ejari record so the registration matches what the parties have actually agreed.
What to keep if an early end is on the table
- The signed tenancy contract, with particular attention to any early-termination clause
- The Ejari registration certificate confirming a valid, recorded tenancy
- Any written mutual-termination or settlement agreement, signed by both parties
- Notices and correspondence exchanged about ending or continuing the tenancy
- Proof of rent paid and the status of any advance cheques or the security deposit
- A dated handover record and photographs of the property's condition on return
Common mistakes on both sides
The mistakeA tenant assumes moving out early cancels the contract.
The fixArticle 7 keeps the contract binding for its term; leaving does not end the obligation to pay unless there is a break clause or a mutual agreement.
The mistakeA landlord treats a better offer as a reason to remove the tenant.
The fixA higher rent is not an Article 25 ground; the tenant may remain for the term, and any early end must be by real agreement.
The mistakeRelying on a verbal "we agreed to end it" with nothing in writing.
The fixMutual consent is best proven in writing; record the end date, the deposit and any settlement so neither side can later dispute it.
The mistakeA landlord changes the locks or cuts services to force an exit.
The fixThat is unlawful self-help; the only lawful route is through the Rental Disputes Centre on a recognised ground, and the tenant can claim damages.
The mistakeSigning a break clause without reading its notice period and penalty.
The fixA break clause is only as helpful as its terms; check the required notice and the cost of exit before you count on it.
Questions and answers
No — not on their own. Article 7 provides that a valid tenancy cannot be unilaterally terminated during its term. A landlord who wants the property back mid-term must rely on one of the specific during-term grounds in Article 25(1) and pursue it through the Rental Disputes Centre; wanting a higher rent or a different tenant is not a lawful ground.
Only by agreement or under a clause the parties already agreed. Article 7 stops a tenant from ending the contract by their own will alone, so a tenant who wants to leave early normally invokes an early-termination clause in the contract or negotiates a mutual termination with the landlord — which may involve a notice period or a penalty as the contract provides.
It refers to the specific mechanisms the law itself supplies — chiefly the during-term eviction grounds in Article 25(1), such as non-payment after a 30-day notice, illegal use, or subletting without written consent, decided through the Rental Disputes Centre. Article 7 blocks termination by one party's will alone, but not a termination the law expressly permits.
No — a properly agreed break clause is consistent with Article 7. Because both parties agreed the early-exit terms when they signed, using the clause is a form of mutual consent rather than a one-sided cancellation. Read it closely first: such a clause usually sets a notice period and a penalty that apply when it is used.
No. That is unlawful self-help, not a route Article 7 recognises. Cutting services or disturbing the tenant's use is separately prohibited under Article 34, and the tenant may report it to the police and claim damages before the Rental Disputes Centre. A landlord's only lawful path is through the Centre on a permitted ground.
You may remain liable for the rest of the rent or an agreed penalty. Because Article 7 makes the contract binding for its term, simply leaving does not end your obligations, and the landlord can claim the outstanding rent or compensation before the Rental Disputes Centre — unless you had an early-termination clause or a mutual-termination agreement.
Article 7 protects a valid tenancy, and registration is central to validity in a dispute. The Centre asks for a copy of the registered lease if the matter reaches the Rental Disputes Centre, so to rely on Article 7 the contract should be written and registered on Ejari as Article 4 requires.
Where MANJAZ fits in
MANJAZ is a publisher and service provider, not a court, not the Rental Disputes Centre, and not a law firm, and it never guarantees a particular result. What we do is practical: read a tenancy contract against Article 7 and flag any early-termination clause and its cost, help both sides put a mutual termination in clear writing, organise the documents and correspondence that show what was agreed, and arrange certified and legal translation where a contract or notice must move between Arabic and other languages.
Whether you are a landlord who needs the property back for a lawful reason or a tenant who has to leave before the term is up, the value is in choosing the right route early and documenting it well. Getting the exit onto a lawful footing — agreement, a break clause, or a recognised ground through the Centre — is what keeps a change of plan from turning into a dispute.
Official sources
- Dubai Legislation — Law No. 26 of 2007 (landlord & tenant) — original text; Arts 2, 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15, 25, 26, 29, 36 amended by Law 33/2008
- Dubai Legislation — Law No. 33 of 2008 amending Law 26/2007
- Rental Disputes Centre — About the Centre
- Dubai Land Department — tenancy frequently asked questions
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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