Dubai Tenancy Law: Questions & Answers
This is the question-and-answer hub for Dubai's tenancy law. Below are direct answers to what landlords and tenants ask most — about rent increases, the two kinds of notice, eviction, maintenance, security deposits, non-payment, sale of the property, the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre, the execution of judgments and Ejari registration. Each answer opens with the short answer, explains the rule behind it, and points you to the full guide. Every point is drawn from Law No. 26 of 2007 (as amended by Law 33 of 2008), Decree 43 of 2013 on rent increases, and Decree 26 of 2013 establishing the Centre.
- Direct answers first — the short answer, then the rule, then where to read more
- Rent increases follow the fixed brackets of Decree 43/2013 — not the landlord's choice
- The 90-day notice changes the terms; the 12-month notarised notice ends the tenancy
- Rental disputes in Dubai are decided by the RDC at Dubai Land Department
- Dubai-based, UAE-wide service
- Arabic & English
- Clear guidance on every document
- Direct request, no middlemen
Find your situation fast, then act on it with the full guide
Use the questions to reach your situation quickly; use the full guides when you need to act.
The answers here are deliberately short: enough to tell you the rule and whether it is on your side, without the full detail of a live dispute. Where a question needs more — a worked calculation, the exact wording of an article, or a step-by-step procedure — the answer points to the guide that covers it in depth: the complete guide to Dubai tenancy law, the pages on rent increases and the 90-day rule, the 12-month eviction notice, maintenance and utilities, and the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre.
One caution runs through everything here. These answers explain the law in general terms; they are not advice on your specific case, and outcomes turn on the exact facts and documents. Where an official source does not publish a figure — for example, a fixed filing fee or a guaranteed timeline — this page says so rather than inventing one. Treat every answer as a reliable starting point, and confirm the detail that matters against the official text, or with a qualified adviser, before you act.
Rent increases at renewal
No — the maximum increase is fixed by law, not chosen by the landlord. Decree No. 43 of 2013 caps the rent increase at renewal on a stepped scale tied to how far your current rent sits below the average market rent for similar units: up to 10% below the average, no increase is permitted; 11–20% below allows up to 5%; 21–30% up to 10%; 31–40% up to 15%; and more than 40% below allows up to 20%. Any increase above the applicable cap can be challenged before the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre.
It is calculated from the gap between your current rent and the average market rent. Dubai Land Department's rent index gives the average rent for comparable units in your area; the further your rent falls below that average, the higher the permitted bracket — 0, 5, 10, 15 or 20% — under Decree 43/2013. If your rent is already close to the market average, the permitted increase is small or zero. The bracket sets the ceiling; the landlord may ask for less, but not more.
The Smart Rental Index is Dubai Land Department's AI-based valuation tool, launched on 2 January 2025, and it did not change the rent-increase caps. It is the operational source of the 'average market rent' figure that feeds the Decree 43/2013 calculation, using advanced building classification, area data and contract records. The percentage brackets themselves — 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% — remain exactly as Decree 43/2013 set them. In short: the index updated how the average is measured, not the caps that flow from it.
No — without the notice, the change does not take effect for the coming term. Under Article 14, a party who wants to amend any term of the lease — including the rent — at renewal must notify the other party at least 90 days before the contract expires, unless the two of you agree a different period. If no valid 90-day notice was served, the lease renews on its existing terms and the proposed increase cannot simply be imposed on you.
Renewal, notices and disputed rent
They serve completely different purposes. The 90-day notice (Article 14) is to change the terms of the lease — usually the rent — at renewal, and must reach the other party at least 90 days before expiry. The 12-month notice (Article 25(2)) is to evict the tenant when the contract ends, on one of four specific grounds, and must be served through a Notary Public or by registered mail at least 12 months ahead. One adjusts the deal for the next term; the other ends the tenancy. Confusing the two is the single most common mistake in Dubai rent disputes.
Broadly yes — if neither party serves a valid notice to change it, the tenancy continues on the same terms. Articles 13 and 14 let either party revisit the terms at renewal, but a party who wants to amend the rent or conditions must give at least 90 days' notice before expiry. Absent that notice, the contract simply carries on. The tenant's right to renew is one of the core protections of Law 26/2007, so a landlord cannot end the tenancy merely by staying silent at expiry.
Yes. If a landlord demands an increase above the Decree 43/2013 cap, or you disagree on the correct figure, the dispute is decided by the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre — not by either party alone. Under Article 9, the Centre fixes a disputed rent using RERA's criteria, comparable market rents and the property's condition. While the matter is being resolved, keep paying at least the amount that is not in dispute, so non-payment cannot be turned against you.
The two notices people confuse — keep them apart
Almost every avoidable rent dispute in Dubai comes back to one confusion: treating the 90-day notice and the 12-month notice as the same thing. The 90-day notice under Article 14 changes the terms of a continuing tenancy at renewal — most often the rent — and does not end the lease. The 12-month notice under Article 25(2) does the opposite: it ends the tenancy on expiry, on one of four grounds only, and only if it was served through a Notary Public or by registered mail a full year in advance and stated the reason. A rent increase is never a valid reason to evict, and a 12-month eviction notice can never be used to raise the rent.
Want this checked for your own document?
Eviction: grounds, notice and re-letting
Yes, but only when the contract ends and only with proper notice. Sale of the property is one of the four grounds in Article 25(2) on which an owner may recover it on expiry. The owner must notify you of that reason at least 12 months in advance, through a Notary Public or by registered mail. A landlord cannot use an intended sale to force you out during the term, and a buyer inherits your existing lease for its remaining period.
There are only four. Under Article 25(2), an owner may seek eviction on expiry if: the property is to be demolished and reconstructed, or new works will prevent your use of it; it needs comprehensive maintenance that cannot be done while you occupy it, supported by a Dubai Municipality technical report; the owner or a first-degree relative will use it personally and the owner has no suitable alternative property; or the owner intends to sell. Each of the four requires the 12-month notarised notice — no other reason qualifies.
Only on specific breach-based grounds, not at the landlord's will. Article 25(1) lists the situations in which an owner may seek eviction during the term — for example, failing to pay rent within 30 days of a formal notice to pay, subletting without written consent, using the property illegally or for a purpose other than the one leased, or causing serious damage through deliberate act or gross negligence. Absent one of these grounds, you cannot be removed before the contract ends.
That may entitle you to compensation. Under Article 26, where a tenant was evicted on the personal-use ground in Article 25(2)(c) — for the owner or a first-degree relative, and not on the sale ground — the owner may not re-let it to another tenant for at least two years for residential property, or three years for non-residential, from the date of taking it back. If the property is re-let sooner without a lawful reason, you may ask the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre to award you fair compensation. Keep evidence of the eviction reason and of the later re-letting.
Through a Notary Public or by registered mail, at least 12 months before the eviction date. Article 25(2), as amended by Law 33/2008, sets both the channel and the timing. A verbal warning, a text message or an ordinary hand-delivered letter does not satisfy the requirement. The notice must also state the specific ground relied on; if it is served by the wrong method, is short of the twelve months, or omits the reason, it does not start the clock and cannot support an eviction claim.
Non-payment, sale and subletting
During the term, non-payment can lead to eviction — but only after a formal notice. Under Article 25(1), if a tenant fails to pay rent within 30 days of the landlord's notice to pay, the landlord may ask the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre to order eviction. The safest course is to clear the arrears within that 30-day window; where the amount itself is disputed, pay what is clearly owed so the shortfall cannot become an eviction ground while you argue the balance.
No — a sale does not end your tenancy. Article 28 provides that transferring ownership to a new owner does not affect the tenant's right to continue occupying the property; the existing lease survives the sale and binds the new owner for the remainder of its term. If the new owner later wants the property back on one of the Article 25(2) grounds — including their own personal use or a fresh sale — they must still serve the 12-month notarised notice like any other landlord.
Only with the landlord's written consent. Article 24 prohibits a tenant from assigning the lease or subletting the property — in whole or in part — unless the landlord has agreed in writing. Subletting without that consent is itself a ground for eviction under Article 25(1), and it can affect the sub-tenant's position too. Get any sublet or room rental approved in writing before it begins, and keep the approval with your tenancy papers.
Maintenance, utilities and the deposit
Unless your contract says otherwise, the landlord is responsible. Article 16 places maintenance during the lease term, and the repair of defects or faults that affect your intended use, on the landlord — subject to any different agreement between the parties. Many contracts do shift minor or day-to-day repairs to the tenant, so read the maintenance clause carefully; where the contract is silent, the statutory default under Article 16 applies and the landlord carries the obligation.
No — a landlord may never cut off your utilities to pressure you. Article 34 prohibits the landlord from disconnecting services or otherwise disturbing your use of the property, even in the middle of a dispute. If it happens, you may report it to the police and/or bring a claim before the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre for damages. Self-help disconnection is unlawful regardless of any rent disagreement, and the remedy is through the authorities, not by the landlord taking matters into his own hands.
At the end of the tenancy, once you return the property. Article 20 lets the landlord hold a security deposit to secure maintenance and requires the balance — or the whole of it — to be returned on expiry, after deducting the cost of any maintenance actually incurred. You must hand the property back in the condition you received it, with fair wear and tear excepted (Article 21). If you disagree with a deduction, the dispute over the deposit or the property's condition is decided by the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre.
The RDC, execution, Ejari and getting help
At the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC), part of Dubai Land Department. Established by Decree No. 26 of 2013, the RDC has exclusive jurisdiction over rental disputes between landlords and tenants of property in Dubai, including many free-zone properties, together with related claims and requests for provisional measures. It replaced the former Rent Committee. Almost every landlord–tenant dispute in the emirate — over rent, eviction, deposits or maintenance — is filed and decided there.
Yes — you must keep paying rent throughout the case. Article 31 is explicit that filing an eviction claim does not exempt the tenant from paying rent; it continues to fall due until a final judgment is issued and executed. Stopping payment during a dispute weakens your position and can create a fresh ground for eviction under Article 25(1). Pay what is clearly owed, keep the receipts, and reserve your arguments for the Centre rather than withholding rent as leverage.
A case moves through defined stages. Claims are first handled by the Conciliation (amicable settlement) department, which tries to mediate a quick resolution; matters that do not settle go to the First Instance committees of judges and members; the Appellate committees hear appeals as provided by the decree; and the Judgment Execution department enforces the outcome. Not every case reaches every stage — many are resolved at conciliation without a full hearing.
Through the RDC's Judgment Execution department. Once a judgment is final, the execution department enforces it — including eviction orders and financial awards such as unpaid rent. Article 21 of Decree No. 26 of 2013 puts every final and irrevocable judgment of the Centre there, with Dubai Courts assisting only where the Centre's chairman asks it to. Article 35 of Law 26/2007 originally split them between a Committee the same Decree abolished and Dubai Courts, so it is repealed to the extent that it conflicts. A judgment on paper is only the first step; execution is the stage that actually gives it effect, so a winning party still has to open an execution file to obtain the result.
It should be registered — the Centre asks for a copy of the registered lease when a case is filed. Article 4 requires the tenancy contract to be in writing and registered with RERA through the Ejari system. If you have to bring or defend a case at the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre, a registered Ejari contract is what establishes the terms the Centre will consider. Register the contract early, while relations are good, rather than scrambling to do it once a dispute has already arisen.
The RDC publishes its fee schedule, so the basic cost is known in advance: the registration fee is 3.5% of the annual rent (or of the contract value) for eviction, renewal, rent and termination claims, with a minimum of AED 500 and a maximum of AED 20,000; for purely monetary claims it is 3.5% of the amount claimed, with the same AED 500 minimum and a maximum of AED 15,000. Fixed charges are added — AED 10 knowledge fee, AED 10 innovation fee, AED 100 process service, AED 25 to register a power of attorney, and AED 130 plus VAT where you file through a Real Estate Services Trustee — and half of the basic fee is refunded if the case settles at conciliation. What the RDC does not publish is a guaranteed timeline: duration depends on the type of claim, its value and complexity, and on whether it settles at conciliation or runs through first instance and appeal. We are a documentation and legal-translation service — a publisher and service provider, not a court, a government body, or a law firm, and we do not appear before the Centre on your behalf. MANJAZ helps you by reviewing your documents, organising and preparing your file and application, translating what the Centre needs into Arabic, and following up the procedure.
Read the full guide behind each answer
Official sources
- Dubai Legislation portal — Law No. 26 of 2007 (landlord–tenant relationship) — original text; Arts 2, 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15, 25, 26, 29, 36 amended by Law 33/2008
- Dubai Legislation portal — Law No. 33 of 2008 amending Law 26 of 2007
- Dubai Legislation portal — Decree No. 43 of 2013 (rent increases)
- Dubai Legislation portal — Decree No. 26 of 2013 (Rental Disputes Centre)
- Rental Disputes Center — About the Centre (jurisdiction, stages, execution)
- Dubai Land Department — Smart Rental Index 2025 announcement
- Rental Disputes Centre — Register a First Instance Lawsuit (e-service, fee schedule)
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.
Have a rental dispute in Dubai?
Send your case details and the documents you have — tenancy contract, Ejari, notices, correspondence — and MANJAZ will help you identify the right service and step.