Can Dubai landlords cut off utilities for late rent, and what legal steps can tenants take?

Hello,

First: Landlord’s right to cut services

The law does not permit the landlord to cut off essential services (electricity, water, central air conditioning) to the tenant, even if the tenant is late in paying rent.

Cutting services is considered an arbitrary action and falls under illegal eviction or unlawful interference with the tenant’s use of the property.

Article (25) of Law No. 26 of 2007 regulating the relationship between landlords and tenants in the Emirate of Dubai, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, specifies the cases of eviction exhaustively, and cutting services is not one of them.

Second: Procedures available to the tenant

The tenant has the right to file an urgent complaint before the Rental Disputes Center (RDC) in Dubai.

The RDC has the authority to issue urgent orders to immediately restore services in order to protect the tenant’s rights.

The tenant may also claim compensation for any material or moral damages suffered due to the disconnection of services (e.g., furniture damage caused by loss of air conditioning or health-related issues).

Third: Landlord’s legal position

The landlord has only one legal course of action to recover their dues:

- File a case before the RDC to claim unpaid rent.

- Or request contract termination and eviction if the legal conditions are met (such as non-payment after a proper legal notice).

Arbitrary actions (cutting services, changing locks, preventing access) expose the landlord to legal liability and compensation claims.

The landlord is not entitled to cut services to the tenant. The tenant may approach the RDC to obtain an urgent order to restore services + claim compensation.

The correct path for the landlord is through the courts, not unilateral actions.