The legal framework
Dubai rental law is governed primarily by Law No. 26 of 2007 and its amendments, particularly Law No. 33 of 2008. These laws establish the rights and obligations of both landlords and tenants and are enforced by RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency) under the Dubai Land Department.
The law is deliberately balanced. Dubai needs both investors willing to buy and rent out property, and a stable environment for tenants. Understanding the law works in your favour: most landlord problems arise from not knowing what is actually enforceable.
Note: this guide covers Dubai specifically. Abu Dhabi and other Emirates have their own rental laws with different rules.
Grounds for eviction during a lease
You cannot ask a tenant to vacate before the lease end date without legal grounds. The following are the permitted grounds under Dubai law:
Non-payment of rent
You must serve a written payment notice. If the tenant does not pay within 30 days, you can apply to the RDSC for eviction. The notice must be formally served, ideally via notary or registered mail, to create a legal record.
Unauthorised sub-letting
If the tenant sub-lets the property without your written consent, you can seek eviction. Document the sub-letting before filing.
Illegal use or damage
Use of the property for illegal purposes, or wilful structural damage, are grounds for immediate eviction via the RDSC.
Abandonment
If the tenant vacates without notice and leaves the property empty for more than 30 consecutive days without justification, you can apply for termination of the tenancy.
Violation of building rules
Repeated documented violations of the building's master community rules, after written warnings, can support an eviction application.
All evictions require a court order from the RDSC. You cannot change the locks, remove the tenant’s belongings, or cut off utilities to force a tenant out. These actions are illegal regardless of what the tenant has done.
Reclaiming the property for personal use
If you want to move into your property yourself, or allow a first-degree relative (parent, child, or spouse) to occupy it, you have the right to reclaim it at the end of the lease. The requirements:
- 1Serve written notice to the tenant at least 12 months before the lease expiry date.
- 2The notice must be served via a notarised letter or registered mail, not WhatsApp or email.
- 3State the specific reason in the notice: personal use, or use by a named first-degree relative.
- 4If you serve the notice and then rent the property to a new tenant within 2 years, the previous tenant can claim compensation.
Important: the 12-month notice must be served before the current lease expires. Serving it after expiry restarts the clock for another full year. Set a reminder in your DubaiDirect dashboard 14 months before lease end if you are considering reclaiming the property.
Rent increase rules at renewal
Rent increases at renewal are capped by the RERA Rent Calculator. The maximum permitted increase depends on how far your current rent is below the current market rate for comparable units:
| Current rent vs. market | Max increase allowed |
|---|---|
| Within 10% of market rate | No increase |
| 11 to 20% below market | Up to 5% |
| 21 to 30% below market | Up to 10% |
| 31 to 40% below market | Up to 15% |
| More than 40% below market | Up to 20% |
The increase notice must be given at least 90 days before lease expiry. A notice served later than 90 days cannot take effect until the following renewal.
See our rental pricing guide for more detail on how to benchmark your current rent against the RERA Rent Calculator.
Security deposit rights and obligations
The security deposit is held by the landlord during the tenancy and must be returned to the tenant when they vacate, minus any legitimate deductions.
Standard deposit amounts: 5% of annual rent for unfurnished units, 10% for furnished units. These are market conventions, not legal caps, though deviating significantly upward can deter good tenants.
Permitted deductions:
- Unpaid rent or bounced cheque fees
- Documented property damage beyond normal wear and tear
- Unpaid utility bills (where the tenant is responsible)
- Cost of restoring the property if the tenant made unauthorised modifications
- Professional cleaning if the unit is returned in unsanitary condition
Not permitted: deducting for normal wear and tear (faded paint, minor scuffs, standard fixture ageing). This is the most common deposit dispute at the RDSC.
Best practice: conduct a move-in inspection with the tenant present and document the property condition with dated photos. Repeat the same inspection at move-out. This evidence is decisive in any deposit dispute.
Maintenance obligations
UAE law places maintenance responsibility broadly on the landlord, with certain exceptions that can be agreed in the tenancy contract:
Landlord’s responsibility
Structural repairs, major appliance failure, plumbing defects, electrical faults, AC system servicing, building infrastructure issues. Anything that affects habitability is the landlord’s obligation.
Can be assigned to tenant by contract
Minor repairs below a defined threshold (commonly 500 to 1,000 AED per incident). Contracts often specify that the tenant handles day-to-day minor maintenance at their own cost.
Tenant’s responsibility
Damage caused by the tenant’s own negligence or misuse, regardless of the threshold agreed in the contract.
A landlord who ignores a written maintenance request from a tenant is exposed to a RDSC claim. Respond promptly to maintenance issues in writing to maintain a clear record.
Resolving disputes through the RDSC
The Rental Dispute Settlement Centre (RDSC) is a specialist court within the Dubai Land Department. It handles all residential and commercial rental disputes in Dubai and is the correct venue for landlord-tenant conflicts, from unpaid rent to eviction to deposit disputes.
Key details:
- Filing fee: 3.5% of the annual rent claimed, with a minimum of 500 AED and a maximum of 20,000 AED.
- Timelines: most cases are heard within 30 to 60 days of filing. Straightforward cases (non-payment with clear documentation) are often resolved faster.
- Required documents: Ejari certificate, tenancy contract, Emirates IDs of both parties, and any evidence relevant to the dispute (photos, written notices, payment records).
- No lawyer required: RDSC proceedings are designed to be accessible without legal representation, though legal advice is useful for complex cases.
- Appeals: RDSC decisions can be appealed to the Dubai Court of Appeal within 15 days of the ruling.
Before filing, consider whether a formal letter via notary resolves the issue. In many non-payment cases, a notarised demand letter prompts settlement without needing to proceed to a hearing.
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