Can an RDC decision be appealed?

Within 15 days from the day after it is pronounced. If the claim is under AED 100,000, the first-instance decision is final — except for eviction decisions and a narrow list of exceptions: for example, a breach of jurisdiction rules or improper summoning of a party. The appeal decision is final; the RDC has no third instance.

The tenant’s cheque bounced — is that a criminal case?

A bounced cheque is no longer a crime in itself: since 2022, it is a civil debt, and a cheque with the bank’s return memo is an enforceable instrument. At the RDC, rent cheques can be enforced directly — without a claim on the merits. Criminal liability remains for acts of bad faith, such as stopping the cheque.

Ejari — AED 120 online

Registering the contract through the DLD website or the Dubai REST app: AED 100 plus two fees of AED 10 each; at a trustee centre it costs more. Both parties are responsible; in practice, the tenant or the broker handles it.

Violetta Absalyamova

Business support and legal matters

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Legal Services in the UAE

Rental Disputes in Dubai: Protecting Landlords and Tenants at the RDC

Q: How much can a landlord raise the rent?

Only if the rent is below the average under the RERA index: up to 10% below — 0% increase; 11–20% below — up to 5%; 21–30% — up to 10%; 31–40% — up to 15%; more than 40% — up to 20%. The permitted percentage is shown by the calculator on the DLD website; since 2025, the index has taken into account the class of the specific building. An increase is possible on renewal and with notice no later than 90 days before the contract ends. If the notice was late or the percentage exceeds the index, the tenant is entitled to refuse, and the dispute is decided by the RDC.

Q: Can a tenant be evicted before the contract ends?

Only on the grounds set out in the law: non-payment within 30 days of a demand, subletting without written consent, unlawful use, damage to the property, breach of the contract terms, an unsafe building. The demand goes through a notary or by registered mail, followed by a claim with the RDC. While the dispute is ongoing, the tenant continues to pay: an eviction claim does not release them from paying rent.

Q: The owner has changed — does the tenancy contract remain in force?

Yes, a sale does not end the contract: the new owner takes it over together with the property, and the contract remains in force on the same terms until it expires. A sale is a separate ground for eviction, but only at the end of the contract and with the same 12 months’ notice through a notary or by registered mail. It is worth getting the new payment details from the owner in writing.

Q: How long does an RDC case take?

Registration — one working day, and hearings are held remotely. If the parties are ready to settle, the law directs the conciliator to aim for 15 days from the first appearance. The law gives the first instance 30 days for a decision from referral of the case, but the period is extended — with an expert examination and complex evidence, the case takes longer. Appeal and enforcement are separate stages.

Q: Can a tenant move out before the contract ends?

Not unilaterally: a contract in force ends only by agreement of the parties or on the grounds set out in the law. So the contract comes first: if it provides for early move-out — with notice or compensation — its terms apply; if not, agree with the landlord in writing. Simply leaving and stopping payment is risky: the landlord is entitled to recover the debt through the RDC — by a payment order, cheque enforcement or a claim.

Q: What is Ejari, and who registers it?

It is mandatory registration of the tenancy contract in the DLD system: Dubai’s tenancy law requires all contracts to be registered, and without Ejari the RDC will not accept a claim from either party. Both the landlord and the tenant are responsible for registration; in practice, the tenant or the broker handles it. Online — through the DLD website or the Dubai REST app: AED 100 plus two fees of AED 10 each; at a trustee centre it costs more. Without Ejari, the contract also cannot be used for visas and utilities.

Almost all rental disputes in Dubai are heard by the RDC, not by the general courts. The outcome is often decided by the notice: whether it was sent on time and in the right way. We prepare the position for the landlord or the tenant and handle the case from the first letter to enforcement.

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90 days
Notice of changed terms before the contract ends: 12 months
Notice of eviction at the end of the contract: 3.5%
RDC fee, of the annual rent: 0–20%
Cap on increases under the RERA index

Everything we do in the UAE

In short

Rental disputes in Dubai go to the RDC, with a fee of 3.5% of the annual rent. The outcome often turns on the notice: 90 days before the contract ends to change terms, and 12 months to evict at the end of the contract — via a notary or registered mail.

Checked 16 October 2026 · Violetta Absalyamova

Cost of a mistake

Another 12 months

An eviction notice sent by WhatsApp or email will not be accepted by the RDC, and the 12-month count has to start again from the beginning.

How to avoid it

Rental disputes are won by documents, not volume

Dubai’s tenancy law is formal: increases follow the index, evictions follow a closed list of grounds and only after notice in the prescribed form. The side that has followed the procedure is usually stronger, even if the situation is debatable on the merits.

Increases follow the index
Rent can be raised only if it is below the average under the RERA Rental Index: from 0% to 20% on the scale in Decree No. 43 of 2013 — and with 90 days’ notice.
Eviction — from a closed list
During the contract — for non-payment, subletting without consent, breach of the terms. At the end of the contract — demolition, major renovation, occupation by the owner or a relative, sale — with 12 months’ notice.
Ejari is the entry ticket
Without a contract registered in Ejari, a claim cannot be filed with the RDC. All documents must be in Arabic or come with a legal translation.
Two instances and enforcement
First instance, appeal and enforcement all take place within the RDC. If the claim is under AED 100,000, the first-instance decision is final — except for eviction and a narrow list of exceptions in the law.

Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal matters

Situations

What clients come to us with

Typical situations

01You are a landlord, and the tenant isn’t paying, the cheques have bounced or the tenant is breaching the contract.
02You want to take the property back at the end of the contract — for yourself, for sale or for renovation — and need to notify the tenant correctly.
03You are a tenant, and the rent has been raised above the index or you are being told to move out without legal grounds.
04The landlord won’t return the deposit, won’t carry out repairs, has cut off water or electricity or changed the locks.
05You need to change the terms on renewal, and the other side disagrees.
06A claim has already been filed against you at the RDC, and you need to prepare objections and counterclaims.

Similar, but different

01The property is in DIFC — it has its own tenancy law and its own court, and the RDC does not hear such disputes.Disputes and Litigation
02A dispute with a developer over delays or defects in a purchased property — this is not a rental matter but a sale and purchase agreement.Developer Disputes
03You need to buy or sell a property with a tenant in it — first a transaction check: a sale does not end the lease.Buying and Selling

Self-check

Eviction notice: check for yourself whether it is valid

At the end of the contract, a tenant can be evicted only on four grounds and only after notice in the prescribed form. Tick what is true for your notice — sent or received. If even one item is not met, the eviction can be challenged, and if the notice itself is defective, the 12 months run again from a new one.

Tick what is true for you

0/5Tick the items to see whether you qualify

Eviction before the contract ends?Art. 25(1)

Early eviction is possible only from a closed list: non-payment or another breach not remedied within 30 days of a demand, subletting without written consent, unlawful use, dangerous alterations, an unsafe building and other cases set out in the law.

Is the property being demolished or renovated?Art. 29

After demolition, reconstruction or major renovation, the former tenant has a priority right to rent the property again. It must be claimed no later than 30 days after the landlord’s notice.

Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, Articles 25 and 29 — based on the official English text on the Dubai Legislation Portal. Checked on 15 October 2026.

Benefits

What you get

A position before the first letter

We check the contract, Ejari, the payment history and correspondence before you send a notice or file a claim. A mistake in an eviction notice costs a year of waiting.

Calculation under the index

We calculate the permitted increase under the RERA index for your building and prepare the arguments: a justification for the landlord, an objection for the tenant.

The shortest route through the RDC

A claim, a payment order, direct enforcement of a cheque or an urgent application — we choose the procedure to fit your situation, not out of habit.

Documents in Arabic

The RDC accepts documents only in Arabic or with a legal translation, and only online. We prepare the claim, the evidence and the translations.

Settlement when it pays off

If the parties reach an agreement, the RDC refunds half of the main fee, and an approved settlement is enforced as a judgment. We tell you when this is better than waiting for a decision.

From the decision to the money or the keys

A decision does not enforce itself. We open enforcement proceedings at the RDC: recovery, attachment of accounts, eviction.

RDC procedures

Six RDC procedures: which one fits your case

They differ in fee, preparation and what you get at the end. Any of them is registered in one working day; documents must be in Arabic or come with a legal translation. Water or electricity cut off, locks changed — go to the police first: according to 2026 guidance, they restore services and access without an RDC decision.

When it fits

The bank refused to pay the cheque

Fee

No percentage

AED 100 + 10 + 10

Result

Straight to enforcement

no claim on the merits

Click an option to highlight it across every parameter

When it fits

The bank refused to pay the cheque

The debt is undisputed and confirmed in writing

Eviction, renewal, terms, money

The parties are ready to settle

Water and electricity, access passes, inspection

and attachment of the debtor’s belongings

The landlord won’t accept payment

or the keys

Fee

No percentage

AED 100 + 10 + 10

3.5% of the amount

from AED 500 to AED 15,000

3.5% of the annual rent

AED 500–20,000; monetary claims — up to AED 15,000

Same as a claim

if the parties agree, half of the main fee is refunded

AED 20

property inspection — 2.5% of the annual rent

AED 50

plus charges of AED 10 and AED 10

Result

Straight to enforcement

no claim on the merits

A judge’s payment order

without full proceedings

First-instance decision

the law allows 30 days; the period is extended

Settlement approved by the judge

enforced at the RDC as a judgment

Interim order

binding on both parties

Payment tendered through the RDC

without prejudice to the tenant’s rights

What you need in advance

Ejari, the cheque, the bank’s memo

on the refusal to pay

A demand and 5 days

through a notary or by registered mail

Ejari; for eviction — a notice

12 months ahead or with 30 days to pay

Same as for a claim

the agreement is signed by the parties and the conciliator

Ejari and evidence

removed belongings — within 30 days of removal

A new contract on the same terms

and the cheques for it

Appeal

Possible

against the judge’s enforcement decisions

15 days

appeal within the RDC

15 days

claims under AED 100,000 — as a rule, no appeal, except for eviction

—

Possible

against decisions of the urgent matters judge

Possible

against decisions of the urgent matters judge

Document review

Received a notice, or want to send one?

We will check whether it is valid and what to do next: agree, challenge it or prepare for the RDC. Send us the contract, Ejari and the text of the notice.

Violetta Absalyamova

Business support and legal matters

Process

7 steps from the first conversation to the result

Every step is visible in the client portal: what’s happening now and whether we need anything from you.

We handle it · 4Authority · 3

We study the contract, Ejari, cheques and payments, correspondence and notices already sent. We calculate the permitted increase under the index and check the grounds and deadlines.

Step 1 of 7

Reviewing the contract and history

We study the contract, Ejari, cheques and payments, correspondence and notices already sent. We calculate the permitted increase under the index and check the grounds and deadlines.

We handle it1–3 working days

Documents

What to prepare — for your side of the dispute

The RDC publishes a list for each procedure; here it is grouped into three common cases. Tick what you already have — and send what is missing to the lawyer as a single list.

Information

Documents

Ready

0 / 11

All documents must be in Arabic or come with a legal translation. The RDC accepts them only online; paper documents are not accepted.

Timing and budget

What makes up the budget

RDC fees are a percentage of the annual rent or the amount of the debt, with a cap. On top of that come notices, translations and lawyers’ work — we state the full budget before filing.

ItemDepends onWhen

Claim feeDepends on3.5% of the annual rent, minimum AED 500, maximum AED 20,000 — for eviction, renewal, termination. Monetary claims — 3.5% of the amount, up to AED 15,000.WhenOn filing
Filing chargesDepends onService of documents AED 100 plus two fees of AED 10 each; with a power of attorney — another AED 25 to register it; through a trustee centre — AED 130 plus VAT. RDC tariffs are indicative as of October 2026.WhenOn filing
Amicable settlementDepends onThe fee is the same as for a claim, but if the parties reach an agreement, half of the main fee is refunded.WhenOn filing; refund — after the agreement
Security on appealDepends onFor monetary decisions, the appellant deposits half of the amount awarded; it is refundable. The RDC Chairman may reduce it or waive it.WhenWhen the appeal is filed
EnforcementDepends onMonetary decisions and cheques — no percentage fee, only fixed charges and AED 20 for each electronic request. Eviction — 1% of the annual rent, up to AED 5,000.WhenWhen enforcement is opened
NoticesDepends onA notarised notice or registered mail — mandatory for eviction and for a payment order.WhenBefore filing
Legal translationDepends onContract, correspondence and evidence into Arabic, by a UAE-licensed translator. Depends on the volume.WhenBefore filing
Our feeDepends onFixed by stage: notice, claim, appeal, enforcement. Depends on complexity and the volume of evidence.WhenBy stage
Ejari registrationDepends onIf the contract is not registered, Ejari comes first — without it, the claim will not be accepted: AED 100 online plus two fees of AED 10 each; at a trustee centre it costs more.WhenBefore filing

Deadlines

A year of a tenancy contract: the deadlines to keep in your calendar

The scale is for a one-year contract. The price of being late here is usually not a fine but lost time: the eviction is pushed back, the new terms do not apply, the decision can no longer be appealed.

0123456789101112months of a one-year contract

12 months before

Eviction notice for the end of the contract

To get the property back when a one-year contract ends, the notice must be served no later than the start of the contract. If you are late, eviction is possible no earlier than 12 months after service.

90 days before

New terms and a rent increase

Notice of changed terms on renewal, unless the contract sets a different period; an increase — within the RERA index. If you are late, the tenant is entitled to refuse.

End

Renewal or return of the property

If the tenant stays and the landlord does not object, the contract is renewed on the same terms for the same period, but for no more than a year. The deposit is returned at the end — in full or less justified deductions.

Debts and breaches

30 days after a demand
Ground for early eviction
The demand goes through a notary or by registered mail. If the tenant has not paid or remedied the breach within this period, the landlord is entitled to seek eviction before the contract ends.
5 days after a demand
Payment order
If the debt is undisputed and confirmed in writing, you can ask the judge for an order: 3.5% of the amount, from AED 500 to AED 15,000.
30 days from removal of belongings
Attachment of the tenant’s belongings
Belongings in the unit — and those removed without the landlord’s knowledge, if no more than 30 days have passed since removal and what remains does not cover the debt. The fee is AED 20; after the attachment there are 8 days to file the claim on the merits, otherwise the attachment lapses.
30 days in a row or 90 in a year
A commercial unit stands empty
If the tenant of an office or shop does not use it without good reason for 30 consecutive days or 90 days in a year with breaks, the landlord is entitled to seek early eviction, unless the contract provides otherwise.

The RDC case

15 days from the day after pronouncement
Appeal
If the decision was issued in absentia — 15 days from notification of it. For a monetary decision, the appellant deposits half of the amount awarded as refundable security.

Contract and property

At signing
Ejari registration
Mandatory for any contract: without it, the RDC will not accept a claim from either party. Online — AED 100 plus two fees of AED 10 each.
2 years — residential, 3 — commercial
Do not let a property recovered “for personal use”
Counted from the return of the property, if the RDC evicted the tenant for occupation by the owner or a first-degree relative.
If missed: the former tenant is entitled to claim fair compensation through the RDC
30 days after notice
The tenant’s heirs leave the contract
The death of a party does not end the contract. The tenant’s heirs are entitled to terminate it: no earlier than 30 days after notifying the landlord, or on the end date if that comes sooner.

Getting it right

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 7 open

01 What people often do
Sending the tenant an eviction notice by WhatsApp or email.
02 What people often do
Raising the rent on renewal because “the market has gone up”.
03 What people often do
Cutting off the water or changing the locks to “squeeze out” a defaulting tenant.
04 What people often do
As a tenant, stopping payment while the dispute is ongoing.
05 What people often do
Evicting a tenant “for personal use” and letting the apartment to someone new six months later.
06 What people often do
Signing a tenancy contract and not registering it in Ejari.
07 What people often do
Moving in or letting an apartment without a condition report and photos.

FAQ

Expert answers

Violetta Absalyamova — Business support and legal matters

Only if the rent is below the average under the RERA index: up to 10% below — 0% increase; 11–20% below — up to 5%; 21–30% — up to 10%; 31–40% — up to 15%; more than 40% — up to 20%. The permitted percentage is shown by the calculator on the DLD website; since 2025, the index has taken into account the class of the specific building. An increase is possible on renewal and with notice no later than 90 days before the contract ends. If the notice was late or the percentage exceeds the index, the tenant is entitled to refuse, and the dispute is decided by the RDC.