Notices · Filing · Execution

Landlord Services for Rental Disputes in Dubai

Dubai law gives landlords clear routes to recover rent and recover possession — and makes each conditional on the formalities being exactly right. Most landlord cases that fail do not fail on the merits. They fail on the notice.

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Notary-ready noticesCertified translationFiling & execution

Direct answer

As a landlord you can recover unpaid rent, evict during the term on any of the nine grounds in Article 25(1) after a 30-day Notice, evict at expiry on one of four grounds after 12 months' Notice, increase the rent within the Decree 43/2013 tiers on 90 days' notice, and enforce a judgment through the RDC's execution department.

What you cannot do: disconnect services, change the locks, or remove the tenant yourself. Article 34 prohibits it, and doing so converts a strong claim into a defence.

What we handle for landlords

💸

Unpaid rent & bounced cheques

Notice drafting, the 30-day clock, and the choice between a First Instance claim and a Payment Writ.

Most common

🏠

Eviction cases

Identifying the correct Article 25 ground, drafting the notice for notarisation, and filing.

Possession

⚖️

Judgment execution

Attachment, travel ban, arrest warrant, instalment plans and physical eviction.

Recovery

🤝

Amicable settlement

Fifteen days, half the court fee refunded on settlement, and an enforceable agreement.

Either

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Ejari problems

A tenant who left without cancelling, blocking your next letting.

Admin

🌐

Certified translation

MOJ-certified Arabic translation of contracts, notices and evidence, produced in-house.

Required

The two eviction routes

During the term — Art. 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 — Art. 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.

Where landlord cases are actually lost

Serving by WhatsApp or email. A Notice means service through a Notary Public or by registered mail; anything else never starts the clock. Confusing 90 days with 12 months. Ninety days changes the rent or terms; twelve months recovers possession at expiry, sale included. Cutting services. Prohibited by Article 34 — and since March 2026 Dubai Police can order it stopped and record the incident without a court order. Stopping at the judgment. Execution is what recovers the property or the money.

Check the tenant before you sign

The RDC operates a Rental Good-Conduct Certificate — an electronic enquiry into a prospective tenant's rental-dispute history, available through its website and the Dubai REST app.

How a landlord file is built

1
Establish the legal ground
The notice and the claim must rest on one specific Article 25 ground. Re-characterising it later does not cure the defect.
2
Draft and serve the notice
Prepared for notarisation, then served through a Notary Public or by registered mail, with the officer's report or receipt retained.
3
Let the period run in full
Thirty days or twelve months depending on the ground, counted from valid service.
4
File with a complete Arabic bundle
3.5% of the annual rent, minimum AED 500 and maximum AED 20,000, with certified translation of everything that is not already in Arabic.
5
Execute
An execution file opens 15 days after judgment. Eviction execution is 1% of the annual rent, capped at AED 5,000; executing a money judgment carries no fee.

Get the notice right the first time

Send the contract and what has happened. We identify the correct ground, draft the notice for notarisation, prepare and translate the file, and handle filing and execution.

Ask on WhatsApp Run the Case Pre-Check

Creek Tower, Floor G, Office 012 · Riggat Al Buteen, Deira, Dubai · Mon–Fri 8:30–17:00

Frequently asked questions

My tenant has not paid. Can I evict straight away?

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, never 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.

Can I sell while an eviction notice is running?

Yes — the RDC confirms there is no legal impediment. But the new owner must serve a fresh Notice if they want possession, and under Article 28 the tenancy survives the sale.

I evicted for personal use. When can I re-let?

After two years for residential property, three for non-residential. Re-letting sooner entitles the former tenant to claim fair compensation from the Tribunal under Article 26.

Can I cut the electricity to force a tenant out?

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 claim against you.

What does execution cost?

Eviction execution is 1% of the annual rent, capped at AED 5,000, plus process service and administrative fees. Executing a monetary claim carries no fee.

Can I keep the deposit against arrears?

The deposit exists under Article 20 to secure maintenance. Applying it to arrears requires a proper basis and does not replace a claim for the rent.

Do you represent landlords at hearings?

No. We prepare and translate documents, draft notices, and handle RDC filing and follow-up. We are a legal support services provider, not a law firm, and never act for both sides of the same dispute.