Dubai Rental Disputes: Eviction Rules, Deposits, and Filing at the RDC

In Dubai, a landlord can evict a tenant at the end of a tenancy only by serving 12 months' written notice through the Notary Public or by registered mail, and only on one of four grounds listed in Article 25 of Law No. 26 of 2007 (as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008). If a dispute reaches court, the venue is the Rental Disputes Centre (RDC) — the specialised judicial arm of the Dubai Land Department created by Decree No. 26 of 2013 — where filing costs 3.5% of the annual rent (minimum AED 500, maximum AED 20,000) and most cases produce a first-instance judgment in weeks, not years.

This guide covers the three fights tenants and landlords actually have: eviction notices (what is lawful and what is not), security deposits (what "normal wear and tear" means and how deduction disputes play out), and the mechanics of filing at the RDC — fees, documents, timelines, appeals and enforcement. It assumes you know the basics of Dubai renting; if not, start with our guide to renting in Dubai (Ejari, cheques, agent fees) and the companion page on rent increases and Decree 43/2013. Everything below applies to the Emirate of Dubai only — Sharjah and Abu Dhabi run entirely different regimes.

At a Glance

When a Landlord Can Evict During the Tenancy

Article 25(1) of Law 26/2007 lists the only situations in which a landlord may seek eviction before the contract expires. The ones tenants most often encounter:

• Non-payment of rent: the tenant fails to pay the rent, or any part of it, within 30 days of the landlord serving a written demand. A bounced cheque does not mean eviction on the spot — the 30-day formal notice must come first, and it is normally served through the Notary Public or registered mail so the landlord can later prove it at the RDC.
• Unauthorised subletting: the tenant sublets all or part of the property without the landlord's written approval. Eviction then extends to the sub-tenant, who is left claiming compensation from the tenant who sublet to them — one reason unregistered "room rentals" are risky for everyone involved.
• Illegal or immoral use of the premises, or allowing others to use it that way.
• Damage or unsafe alteration: the tenant makes changes that endanger the property or causes damage beyond ordinary use, or uses the premises for a purpose other than what it was leased for.

Outside these grounds, a landlord cannot terminate mid-term simply because they found a higher-paying tenant, and cannot cut services (water, electricity, access cards) to force a tenant out — that behaviour itself is actionable at the RDC.

Eviction at Lease Expiry: the 12-Month Notice Rule

Article 25(2), as rewritten by Law 33/2008, is the provision behind almost every "eviction notice Dubai" search. A landlord who wants the property back at (or after) the end of the tenancy must serve notice at least 12 months before the required eviction date, and the notice is valid only if delivered through the Notary Public or by registered mail. A WhatsApp message, email or phone call does not start the clock. There are only four lawful grounds:

• Sale of the property — the owner wishes to sell, and the sale genuinely requires vacant possession.
• Personal use — the owner, or a first-degree relative, will occupy the property. Courts generally require the landlord to show they do not own another suitable property in Dubai for that purpose (typically via a Dubai Land Department ownership statement).
• Demolition or reconstruction — supported by the required government permits.
• Comprehensive renovation that cannot be carried out while the property is occupied, supported by a technical report (commonly attested via Dubai Municipality).

The self-use trap for landlords: if the tribunal grants eviction for personal use, the landlord may not re-let the property to a third party for at least two years for residential property (three years for non-residential) from repossession. If it appears on the market before then, the evicted tenant can go back to the RDC and ask for fair compensation. Screenshots of a listing for your old apartment are exactly the kind of evidence the tribunal accepts. There is no fixed compensation tariff — awards are at the tribunal's discretion and commonly reference the tenant's moving costs and rent differential.

If the property is sold mid-notice: Dubai courts have in recent years accepted that a valid eviction notice served by the previous owner can carry over to the buyer, rather than the 12 months restarting — this follows widely reported Dubai Court of Cassation guidance, but the position has shifted over time, so confirm the current state with a legal adviser if you are mid-notice during a sale.

Note what is not on the list: wanting a higher rent is never a lawful eviction ground. Rent increases are governed separately by Decree 43/2013 and the RERA index — see our Dubai rent increase guide for the slabs and the 90-day notice rule.

Security Deposits: the Law, the Norms, and the Deduction Fight

Dubai law does not fix a deposit percentage. Article 20 of Law 26/2007 simply allows the landlord to take a security deposit and obliges them to refund it on expiry, while Article 21 obliges the tenant to return the premises in the condition received "except for normal use" — the statutory root of the wear-and-tear concept. The market norm, recognised in practice and reflected in RDC outcomes, is 5% of annual rent for unfurnished property and 10% for furnished.

There is also no statutory refund deadline. 14 to 30 days after handover is the commonly reported range; many contracts specify a period, and the RDC treats prolonged, unjustified retention as a monetary claim the tenant can file. The practical friction point is deductions. A recurring pattern — familiar from heavily discussed tenant threads on Dubai forums — is a landlord presenting a bill for thousands of dirhams in "damages" weeks after move-out: full repainting, deep cleaning, appliance servicing, sometimes exceeding the deposit itself. The legal baseline:

• Normal wear and tear is not deductible: faded paint, minor scuffs, small nail holes, sun-worn curtains and carpet flattening from ordinary living fall under Article 21's "normal use". Deducting for them is not supported by the law.
• Genuine damage is deductible: broken fixtures, large wall damage, burns, stains beyond cleaning, unpaid utility bills and lost access cards are legitimate deductions — but the landlord carries the burden of proving them with evidence and real invoices, not round-number estimates.
• Evidence decides these cases. Date-stamped move-in and move-out photos and videos, a signed handover report, the inventory list for furnished units, and your final DEWA clearance are what conciliators and judges actually look at. Without proof of pre-existing damage, tribunals commonly order a full or near-full refund.

Practical sequencing: request the refund in writing (email creates a record), give the landlord a reasonable stated deadline, and only then escalate. Deposit claims are well suited to the RDC's conciliation stage — many settle there without ever reaching a judge, and settling at conciliation gets half the filing fee refunded.

The Rental Disputes Centre: What It Covers and What It Costs

The RDC (also seen as the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre, RDSC) was established by Decree No. 26 of 2013 as the specialised rental judiciary attached to the Dubai Land Department. It has exclusive jurisdiction over rental disputes across Dubai, including free zones, with two main carve-outs: free zones that run their own tribunals — notably the DIFC, whose leases go through the DIFC's own courts — and finance-lease or long-term lease contracts. Landlords and tenants, residential and commercial, both file here.

Published fees (verify current figures on rdc.gov.ae before filing):

The winning party is generally awarded the filing fee as part of the judgment, and if the case settles at conciliation, half the court fee is refunded. Lawyers are optional — the process is built for self-represented parties, and a large share of tenants file deposit claims without counsel. For complex commercial leases or contested eviction grounds, representation is worth considering.

How to File an RDC Case, Step by Step

1. Put your demand in writing first. For money claims, email or a notarised notice stating what you want and a deadline; for a landlord's expiry eviction the formal Notary Public / registered-mail notice is a legal prerequisite, for a payment claim the prior 30-day written demand is, and proof of service must be filed with the case.
2. Gather the documents. An Ejari-registered tenancy contract (a copy of the latest Ejari certificate is on the RDC's required list — an unregistered contract is a real obstacle), Emirates ID and passport/visa copies, the title deed (for landlords), your evidence bundle (photos, handover report, correspondence, bills, cheque copies), and a bank letter or statement showing your IBAN for any refund. Key documents must be translated into Arabic by a legal translator.
3. Register the case online through the RDC portal on rdc.gov.ae (or via the Dubai REST app), or in person at a real estate services trustee centre; the RDC itself sits on Baniyas Road in Deira.
4. Pay the fee — 3.5% of annual rent (min AED 500, max AED 20,000) for lease disputes, or 3.5% of the claimed amount (max AED 15,000) for pure money claims. The first hearing is scheduled a minimum of 7 days after payment.
5. Attend conciliation. A conciliator attempts a mediated settlement, targeting around 15 days, using anything from in-person sessions to video calls. Deposit disputes very often end here; a signed settlement has executive force, and half your fee comes back.
6. First instance. If conciliation fails, a judge (or panel) hears the case; judgments are typically issued within about 30 days. Hearings are brisk and document-driven — your evidence file matters more than oratory.
7. Appeal if eligible. You have 15 days from the judgment (or its notification). Monetary claims are appealable only when AED 100,000 or more is at stake; eviction judgments can be appealed regardless of amount. The appellant deposits 50% of the awarded amount, refundable per the outcome.
8. Execution. Once the judgment is final (15 days after issuance or notification), the winning party files for execution — free for financial awards; 1% of annual rent (capped at AED 5,000) to enforce an eviction.

Scams, Fake Landlords, and Why Ejari Protects You

A meaningful share of "rental disputes" never reach the RDC because the victim was never in a lawful tenancy to begin with. The recurring patterns: a "landlord" who does not own the unit collecting deposits from multiple applicants for the same apartment; a tenant subletting rooms without the owner's written consent and vanishing with the deposits; and listings priced well below market to rush a bank transfer before a viewing. The defences are boring and effective:

• Verify ownership before paying anything — ask for the title deed and match it against the landlord's ID; the Dubai REST app can validate a title deed's authenticity.
• Register Ejari immediately. An Ejari-registered contract is what gives you standing at the RDC, connects DEWA, and proves your tenancy exists. If someone resists Ejari registration, treat that as the red flag it is — and remember unauthorised sub-tenants can be evicted alongside the sub-lessor under Article 25(1).
• Pay traceably — cheques or transfers in the name on the title deed, never cash to an intermediary "to hold the unit".
• Deal with registered brokers — every legitimate agent holds a RERA broker card you can verify through the Dubai REST app.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much notice does a landlord have to give to evict a tenant in Dubai?

At lease expiry: 12 months' written notice served through the Notary Public or by registered mail, and only for sale, personal/first-degree-relative use, demolition, or major renovation requiring vacancy (Article 25(2), Law 26/2007 as amended). During the tenancy, eviction needs a listed ground — for unpaid rent, the tenant must first get a formal demand and fail to pay within 30 days.

Can my landlord evict me just to raise the rent?

No. Wanting a higher rent is not among the lawful eviction grounds. Rent increases follow the RERA index slabs under Decree 43/2013 with 90 days' notice. An eviction notice for "personal use" followed by the unit reappearing at a higher rent within two years exposes the landlord to a tenant compensation claim at the RDC.

What can I do if my landlord won't return my deposit?

Demand it in writing with a deadline, then file a monetary claim at the Rental Disputes Centre. The fee is 3.5% of the claimed amount (minimum AED 500), the landlord must prove any deductions with evidence and invoices, normal wear and tear is not deductible, and many deposit cases settle at the conciliation stage — which also refunds half your filing fee.

How much does it cost to file a case at the RDC?

3.5% of the annual rent for eviction and lease disputes (minimum AED 500, maximum AED 20,000), or 3.5% of the claimed amount for monetary claims (maximum AED 15,000), plus small administrative charges. Enforcing an eviction judgment costs 1% of annual rent capped at AED 5,000; enforcing a financial award is free.

Do I need a lawyer for a rental dispute in Dubai?

No — representation is optional and the process is designed for self-represented parties, with conciliation first and document-driven hearings. Many tenants recover deposits without counsel. A lawyer becomes more valuable for commercial leases, contested eviction grounds, or appeals.

How long does an RDC case take?

The first session is scheduled at least 7 days after you pay the fee, conciliation targets roughly 15 days, and first-instance judgments are typically issued within about 30 days. With the 15-day appeal window and execution, even a fully contested case usually resolves in a few months — weeks, if it settles at conciliation.

Can I be evicted for paying rent late?

Only after process. The landlord must first serve a formal written payment demand — in practice usually through the Notary Public or by registered mail, the easiest routes to prove; if you pay within 30 days, the ground for eviction falls away. Persistent non-payment after notice is the most common successful eviction claim at the RDC.

Does an eviction notice survive if the property is sold?

Dubai courts have in recent years accepted that a valid 12-month notice served by the seller can carry over to the buyer rather than restarting — a position widely reported following Court of Cassation guidance. Because this has shifted over time, confirm the current position with a legal adviser if a sale happens mid-notice.

Related reading: the UAE property guide hub collects all our rental coverage. For the rules on how much your rent can rise, see Dubai rent increases and the RERA calculator; for first-time tenancy mechanics (Ejari, cheques, agent fees), see renting in Dubai. Renting elsewhere? The regimes differ sharply — see renting in Abu Dhabi (Tawtheeq) and renting in Sharjah under Law No. 5 of 2024.