Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended
Landlord Rights in Dubai: What the Law Actually Gives You
Dubai law gives landlords clear routes to recover rent and recover possession — and makes each of them conditional on getting the formalities exactly right. Most landlord cases that fail do not fail on the merits. They fail on the notice.
Direct answer
As a landlord in Dubai you have the right to be paid on time, to increase the rent within the Decree 43/2013 tiers on 90 days' notice, to evict during the term on any of the nine grounds in Article 25(1) after a 30-day Notice, to evict at the end of the term on one of four grounds in Article 25(2) after 12 months' Notice, and to enforce a judgment through the RDC's execution department.
What you may not do: disconnect services, change the locks, or remove the tenant yourself. Article 34 prohibits it, and doing it converts a strong claim into a defence.
Your six core rights
To be paid on the agreed dates
Articles 12 and 19. Where no dates are agreed, rent is payable in four equal advance instalments.
To increase the rent within the cap
Decree 43 of 2013 tiers, measured against the rent index, and only with 90 days' notice under Article 14.
To evict for cause during the term
Nine grounds in Article 25(1), each requiring a Notice and, in most cases, a 30-day cure period.
To recover the property at expiry
Four grounds in Article 25(2) — demolition, major restoration, personal use, or sale — each on 12 months' Notice.
To take and apply a security deposit
Article 20 permits a deposit to secure maintenance. Deductions need documentation.
To enforce what you win
The RDC's execution department: attachment, travel ban, arrest warrant, instalment plans, and eviction.
The two eviction routes, side by side
During the term — Article 25(1)
- Rent unpaid 30 days after Notice
- Subletting without written consent
- Illegal or immoral use
- Commercial premises empty 30 consecutive or 90 non-consecutive days
- Safety-endangering changes or deliberate damage
- Use conflicting with the permitted purpose
- Risk of structural collapse on a technical report
- Any other breach not cured within 30 days of Notice
- Government demolition mandate
At expiry — Article 25(2)
- Demolition, reconstruction or additions
- Restoration that cannot be done with the tenant in place, on a technical report
- Owner's personal use or a first-degree relative's, where the owner owns no suitable alternative
- The owner wishes to sell
All four require 12 months' Notice via Notary Public or registered mail.
Article 26 — the limit on personal-use eviction
Where a landlord recovers possession for personal use, they may not re-let to a third party for at least two years for residential property, or three years for non-residential. If they do, the former tenant may apply to the Tribunal for fair compensation, assessed on the evidence — there is no fixed multiplier.
Law No. (33) of 2008 amending Law No. (26) of 2007 — Dubai Legislation Portal.Four things landlords get wrong
Serving notice by WhatsApp or email. A Notice means service through a Notary Public or by registered mail — anything else does not start the clock. Confusing 90 days with 12 months. Ninety days is to change the rent or terms; twelve months is to evict at expiry, including for sale. Cutting services to force an exit. Prohibited by Article 34, and since March 2026 Dubai Police can order it stopped and record the incident without a court order. Assuming a judgment ends it. A judgment is the middle of the process; execution is what recovers the property or the money.
Your obligations — because they decide your case too
- Hand over the property in a condition allowing full use (Art. 15)
- Maintain it, and repair defects affecting the tenant's use, unless the contract says otherwise (Art. 16)
- Make no change that prevents full use (Art. 17)
- Provide approvals the tenant needs for permitted works (Art. 18)
- Refund the security deposit where the property is returned properly (Art. 20)
- Register the tenancy with RERA — an unregistered contract makes enforcement harder (Art. 4)
You can sell during a 12-month eviction notice
The RDC confirms there is no legal impediment to selling the property while an eviction notice is running. Note the consequence though: the new owner must serve a fresh Notice if they want possession, and under Article 28 the tenancy survives the sale for the agreed term.
Checking a tenant before you sign
The RDC operates a Rental Good-Conduct Certificate — an electronic service available through its website and the Dubai REST app that lets you enquire about a prospective tenant's rental-dispute history. Five minutes there is worth more than a year of recovery proceedings.
Get the notice right the first time
Send us the contract and what has happened. We identify the correct legal ground, draft the notice for notarisation, prepare and translate the file, and handle filing and execution.
Frequently asked questions
My tenant has not paid. Can I evict immediately?
No. Serve a Notice through a Notary Public or by registered mail, wait 30 days, then file at the RDC. Eviction happens by judgment and execution, not by your own action.
How much notice do I give to evict at the end of the tenancy?
Twelve months, for all four Article 25(2) grounds — including where you want to sell. The 90-day period is for changing the rent or terms, not for eviction.
Can I cut the electricity to make them leave?
No. Article 34 prohibits it, and the March 2026 explanatory memorandum confirms Dubai Police can order you to stop and draw up a report without a prior court order. The rent debt remains, and you acquire a compensation claim against you.
How much can I increase the rent?
Within the Decree 43/2013 tiers measured against the rent index: no increase where the rent is within 10% of the market average, then 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% as the gap widens. Any increase needs 90 days' notice.
I evicted for personal use. When can I re-let?
After two years for residential property, or three for non-residential. Re-letting earlier entitles the former tenant to claim fair compensation from the Tribunal.
Can I keep the deposit against unpaid rent?
The deposit exists under Article 20 to secure maintenance of the property. Applying it to arrears needs a proper basis, and it does not replace a claim for the rent itself.
The tenant left without cancelling Ejari.
That is a dispute the RDC can resolve. Keep the hand-over record, dated photographs and the departure date — they are what establishes that occupation actually ended.
Do you act for landlords?
Yes — on preparation, certified translation, filing and follow-up. We are a legal support services provider, not a law firm: we do not give legal advice and do not appear at hearings. We never act for both sides of the same dispute.
Related
Disclaimer. General information about Dubai tenancy law, not legal advice. Legislation is cited from the Dubai Legislation Portal and procedure from the Rental Disputes Centre as published at the date of writing. Taw-Theeq Corporate Services and Legal Translation LLC is a legal support services provider — not a law firm and not a government authority.