Enforcing an RDC Judgment in Dubai
Winning at the Rental Disputes Centre is not the end of the road. A judgment only changes anything once it is executed — carried out in the real world so the tenant actually leaves or the money is actually paid. In Dubai, Article 35 of the tenancy law is where execution sits, but under Article 21 of Decree No. 26 of 2013 the Centre's own Judgment Execution Department enforces every final and irrevocable judgment it issues — eviction orders and financial awards alike — and the Centre's chairman may call on the Execution Department of Dubai Courts for assistance when it is needed. This page explains what execution is, how it is requested, and what to expect at each stage.
- Article 35's two-track split predates the Centre; Decree 26 of 2013 replaced it with a single route
- The Rental Disputes Centre runs its own Judgment Execution Department for eviction orders and financial claims
- A judgment must be final and enforceable before it can be executed
- MANJAZ prepares and follows up execution files; it does not decide cases and cannot promise a specific result
- Dubai-based, UAE-wide service
- Arabic & English
- Clear guidance on every document
- Direct request, no middlemen
What enforcing an RDC judgment actually means
Execution (enforcement) is the stage at which a final judgment of the Rental Disputes Centre is actually carried out — the tenant is made to vacate, or the sum awarded is collected — and in Dubai it is governed by Article 35 of the tenancy law, whose two-track split was superseded by Decree No. 26 of 2013, and handled by the Centre's Judgment Execution Department.
A judgment on its own is a decision on paper. It settles who is right, but it does not by itself put anyone out of a property or move any money. Execution — sometimes called enforcement — is the separate stage that turns the decision into a real-world result: possession of the property is recovered, or the amount the Centre awarded is collected from the losing party.
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 35 of that law deals specifically with how awards are carried out. Its original wording split them: eviction awards were to be executed through the Tribunal — the Special Tribunal formed by Decree No. 2 of 1993 — and other awards, principally financial ones such as unpaid rent or a refunded security deposit, through the Execution Section of Dubai Courts. That machinery predates the Rental Disputes Centre, and Decree No. 26 of 2013 abolished the Special Tribunal it named. Article 35 itself has never been re-drafted, so a reader who looks it up on the Dubai Legislation portal still sees the 2007 wording; under Article 29 of the Decree, however, any provision that contradicts the Decree is repealed to that extent.
Since the Rental Disputes Centre was established by Decree No. 26 of 2013 as the specialised judicial body for tenancy disputes, it operates its own Judgment Execution Department. The Centre states that this department enforces its judgments, covering both eviction orders and financial claims. In other words, the case does not usually leave the Centre to be enforced elsewhere: the same institution that decides the dispute also carries the decision through to a result.
Article 35 and what Decree 26 of 2013 changed
A rental judgment can order two very different things, and Article 35 was written around that distinction. An eviction award decides that the tenant must give up the property, ending in the handover of vacant possession. A financial award decides that one party must pay the other a sum of money — rent arrears, a refunded security deposit, compensation, or costs — so the amount can actually be recovered. What changed in 2013 is not what each award orders but who enforces it: both are now enforced by the Centre's Judgment Execution Department.
Many judgments combine both. A single case may, for example, order a tenant to vacate for non-payment and also to pay the rent that fell due. When that happens, both limbs are enforced by the same body; what differs is the measure that may follow — handover of possession for the eviction, attachment of funds or assets for the money award. Knowing which measures apply helps a party prepare the right documents and expect the right steps.
The words you will meet in execution
- Final / enforceable judgment
- A judgment that can be executed because the time to object or appeal has passed, or the appeal routes are exhausted, so it is no longer open to ordinary challenge.
- Judgment creditor
- The party in whose favour the judgment was given — the one entitled to have it executed, whether that is a landlord awarded possession and arrears or a tenant awarded a refund.
- Judgment debtor
- The party against whom the judgment was given — the one required to comply, by vacating the property or paying the sum awarded.
- Executory copy
- The official copy of the judgment bearing the enforcement formula, on the strength of which an execution file can be opened. It is what the execution stage is built on.
- Notice to comply
- The formal notification served on the judgment debtor requiring them to carry out the judgment within the period fixed, before enforcement measures are taken.
How execution is requested, step by step
Make sure the judgment is enforceable
Execution starts only once the judgment is final — the objection or appeal period has run without a successful challenge, or the routes of appeal are exhausted. A judgment still open to appeal is not yet ready to enforce.
Open an execution file
The judgment creditor applies to the Centre's Judgment Execution Department to open an execution file, submitting the executory copy of the judgment and the supporting documents that identify the parties and the property.
The debtor is notified to comply
The judgment debtor is formally served and required to carry out the judgment — to vacate, or to pay — within the period fixed in the notice by the execution judge.
Enforcement measures if there is no compliance
If the debtor does not comply, the execution judge may take the measures the law allows, such as ordering the handover of possession in an eviction, or attaching the debtor's funds or assets to satisfy a money award.
Completion of execution
Execution ends when the judgment has been satisfied — vacant possession is delivered, or the awarded amount is recovered — and the file is closed.
Executing an eviction award vs a financial award
Executing an eviction award
- Goal: recover vacant possession of the property
- Carried out by the Centre's Judgment Execution Department
- The debtor is required to hand over the property by the date set
- If they do not, possession is enforced through the execution department
- After a personal-use eviction, the Article 26 re-letting restriction applies
Executing a financial award
- Goal: collect a sum awarded — arrears, deposit, compensation or costs
- Also enforced by the Centre's Judgment Execution Department
- The debtor is notified to pay within the period fixed
- If they do not, the execution judge may attach funds or assets
- Rent that fell due keeps accruing until a final award is paid (Article 31)
Have a question about your case?
What you need to open an execution file
- The executory copy of the final judgment you want to enforce
- Proof that the judgment is final — that the objection or appeal period has passed
- The Ejari-registered tenancy contract and the case reference number
- Identity documents: Emirates ID for individuals, or the trade licence for a company
- For an eviction: the details needed to recover and hand over the property
- For a money award: the details that help locate the debtor's funds or assets
A judgment must be final before it can be executed
Execution is for judgments that are final and enforceable. While a judgment is still open to objection or appeal, it is generally not ready to be carried out, because the outcome could still change. This is why the objection and appeal stage and the execution stage are closely linked: if you have lost and intend to challenge, the time to act is during the appeal window, not after execution has begun; and if you have won, confirming that the judgment is final is the first thing to check before opening an execution file.
How execution plays out in practice
A landlord won an eviction award but the tenant refuses to leave.
What is usually neededWith the final judgment, the landlord opens an execution file; the tenant is formally required to hand over the property, and if they still refuse, possession is enforced through the Centre's execution department rather than by any self-help by the landlord.
A tenant was awarded a refund of the security deposit, but the landlord has not paid.
What is usually neededThe tenant, as judgment creditor, applies to execute the financial award; the landlord is notified to pay within the period fixed, and if payment is not made, the execution judge may take measures to collect the amount, such as attaching funds.
A judgment orders the tenant both to vacate and to pay rent arrears.
What is usually neededBoth limbs are enforced by the Centre's Judgment Execution Department — the eviction ending in the handover of possession, the money award in collection of the sum — since every final judgment of the Centre is enforced there, whether it carries one limb or two.
The losing party has filed an appeal against the judgment.
What is usually neededExecution normally waits on a final, enforceable judgment; a party who wants to challenge should act within the appeal route, while the party who won should confirm the judgment is final before opening an execution file.
Common mistakes at the execution stage
The mistakeTrying to enforce a judgment that is still open to appeal.
The fixExecution is for final judgments; confirm the objection and appeal period has passed, or the routes are exhausted, before opening an execution file.
The mistakeA landlord changing the locks or removing belongings to 'enforce' an eviction personally.
The fixEviction is carried out through the Centre's Judgment Execution Department, not by self-help; taking matters into your own hands can expose you to liability.
The mistakeAssuming an eviction award and a money award need the same documents and the same measures.
The fixBoth go to the Centre's Judgment Execution Department — what differs is the measure, handover of possession for eviction and attachment of funds for a money award; prepare what each needs.
The mistakeA tenant stopping rent once a judgment is issued but before it is executed.
The fixUnder Article 31 rent remains due until a final award is issued and executed; withholding it can add to what is owed and weaken your position.
The mistakeOpening an execution file with an incomplete set of documents.
The fixMissing the executory copy, the case reference or proof that the judgment is final slows execution; gather the file before you apply.
Where MANJAZ fits in
MANJAZ is a publisher and service provider, not a court and not a law firm, and it never guarantees a particular result. What we do is practical: review the judgment and the tenancy file, help prepare and organise the documents an execution file needs, arrange certified and legal translation where the file must move between Arabic and other languages, and follow up the procedure at the Rental Disputes Centre.
Whether you are a landlord who has won possession and wants it enforced properly, or a tenant entitled to a refund that has not been paid, the value is in getting the execution file right the first time: confirming the judgment is final, assembling the correct documents, and following the steps in the right order. Careful preparation is what keeps an execution moving rather than stalling on avoidable gaps.
A judgment that is being ignored
What we prepare
Tenancy contracts and addenda, legal notices for notarisation and service, statements of claim and their annexes, evidence bundles, payment and cheque records, and judgment and execution papers.
Arabic is not optional
Proceedings before the Centre are in Arabic. A contract, notice or receipt in any other language is filed with a legally recognised Arabic translation — which is the work MANJAZ is accredited to do.
Free review, free quote
Reviewing your file and quoting for the work are both free. The Centre charges a registration fee of 3.5% of the annual rent, with a minimum of AED 500 and a maximum of AED 20,000 — that fee is paid to the Centre, not to MANJAZ. Our own quote is given once we have seen the file.
The language your documents are in
Arabic and English are the core pair, with 21 documented languages in all — so a tenancy contract, notice or receipt in any of them can be put into the Arabic the Centre requires.
Handled remotely
Documents are sent, reviewed and returned electronically — there is no counter to attend and no appointment to keep for the preparation and translation work. Where a step genuinely requires you in person, such as a notary attendance, we say so and tell you what to bring.
Before you file
Most rental cases are lost on the paperwork, not the merits — a notice served the wrong way, a contract that was never registered in Ejari, a deadline that had already run. We check those first, because they cannot be fixed afterwards.
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Reviewing your file and telling you what it needs costs nothing and commits you to nothing. MANJAZ Corporate & Translation Services L.L.C. — a Dubai practice that prepares documents and provides legal translation under UAE Ministry of Justice accreditation. On Dubai rental disputes we also give legal consultation, act for you, and represent you before the Rental Disputes Centre committees. MANJAZ is not a court and not a government body, and never guarantees an outcome.
How to verify a translator is registered with the Ministry of Justice
Questions and answers
It means carrying the judgment through to a real result — making the tenant vacate, or collecting the money awarded — after the case has been decided. Enforcement, or execution, is a separate stage from the judgment itself, handled by the Rental Disputes Centre's Judgment Execution Department.
The Centre's Judgment Execution Department covers both eviction orders and financial claims. Article 35 of Law 26/2007 originally split them between a Special Tribunal and Dubai Courts, but Decree No. 26 of 2013 abolished that Tribunal and placed enforcement of all the Centre's final judgments with the Centre's own department.
Generally no. Execution is for a judgment that is final and enforceable, meaning the objection or appeal period has passed without a successful challenge, or the appeal routes are exhausted. If a challenge is still live, the judgment is usually not yet ready to be executed.
You open an execution file with the Centre's Judgment Execution Department, submitting the executory copy of the final judgment together with the documents identifying the parties, the property and the case. The judgment debtor is then formally notified to comply within the period fixed.
If the judgment debtor does not vacate or pay within the period set, the execution judge may take the enforcement measures the law allows — such as enforcing the handover of possession in an eviction, or attaching the debtor's funds or assets to satisfy a money award.
A tenant's duty to pay rent continues until a final award is issued and executed, under Article 31. Filing or defending a case does not, by itself, suspend the rent; withholding it can increase what is owed.
The Rental Disputes Centre publishes the fees for registering an execution proceeding: for an eviction, 1% of the annual rent, capped at AED 5,000, plus fixed charges — AED 100 process service, AED 25 power-of-attorney registration (if applicable), AED 10 knowledge fee and AED 10 innovation fee. Filing through a Real Estate Services Trustee centre adds a partner fee of AED 130 + VAT, and each request submitted electronically during execution costs AED 20. The Centre does not publish a fixed timeline: duration depends on the type of award, whether the debtor complies voluntarily, and the measures needed. Confirm the current figures on the Centre's execution service page before you file.
Official sources
- Dubai Legislation — Law No. 26 of 2007 (Article 35, execution of awards) — 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
- Dubai Legislation — Decree No. 26 of 2013 (Rental Disputes Centre)
- Rental Disputes Centre — About the Centre (stages and execution)
- Rental Disputes Centre — Register an Execution Proceeding (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.