Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
12 available 12 • View allHow to evacuate the tenant and claim your pending rent amount
1
Q: We own an office and it’s rented out to a company. The tenancy contract has finished on 4 April 2018 and the tenant is not answering his emails and calls to hand over the keys.
I don’t know if they are in the office or no. This tenant has not paid rent for more than six months now. Only one of his staff was in touch with us since last six months and he has disappeared.
The staff has been giving us false promises and we have been trying to work with her, but this has taken too long and we have lost our patience. The staff claims they cannot pay the rent because some of their clients are not paying them.
While I try to be understanding, the tenant refuses to pay even a portion of the rent or even the AC utility bills, which according to the rental agreement are the tenant’s responsibility.
Can I get to the office as the tenancy is expired now and we haven’t received the rent and communication from the tenant?

Apr 8, 2018
2415
Eviction of tenant due to non-payment of rent
35
Q: Dear all,
Do you have a model of eviction letter for non-payment of rent? How to notify the tenant?

Feb 15, 2017
25131
How to evict a tenant who committed default on payments
4
Q: Hi, my tenant is a company and has not paid the rent for past two months. I have filed a police complaint and eviction notice from the court. He keeps on saying he will pay every week but does not honour his deadlines.
I do not wish to keep him as a tenant as this will always be a problem with him given his attitude and do not wish to waste my time.
I want him to vacate even if he pays now. Please help.

Jul 12, 2017
2482
Vacating a tenant upon the expiry of tenancy contract
5
Q: Good Morning
The tenancy contract expired on 31st of July 2019 and the tenant informed my agent that he wishes to leave on the expiry of the contract.
However, he is still living in my apartment and refusing to vacate or renew the contract. Dubai Land Department advised me to serve him a 30 days notice by the notary public.
How much will be the cost of such a notice? I am based in the UK.
Regards,
M. Z.

Sep 9, 2019
3234
Evicting the defaulting tenant immediately if it is mentioned in the contract

1
Q: Dear All,
I have the following question.
I am the landlord of an apartment in Dubai. It was rented out by me to a touristic company which now owes me 6 months rent payment. In the contract which we have signed we have the following clause:
"In case of any cheque returned unpaid without any valid reason from the tenant, and the tenant fails to settle the cheque value within 20 working days, then the tenant shall be entitled to a delayed penalty equal to 2% of the cheque value added to the due amount and if it is not settled after 7 working days from the date of penalty applied on the due cheque, then the owner has the right to terminate the contract and take immediate possession of the apartment."
So, does it mean that I can write an email to him and say that I am terminating the contract and taking possession of the apartment? Or do I still need to send some eviction notice?


Nov 16, 2020
975
Lease contract termination and and eviction of the tenant for defaulting on rent
0
Q: Dear all,
I am the landlord of an apartment in Dubai and I am currently not residing in the UAE.
I have rented the place to a vacation homes company and payment was done monthly for the first three months and quarterly cheques thereafter.
They paid the first 3 months but when I tried to cash their cheque for the second-quarter payment (was due Nov 3rd) it got rejected due to insufficient funds.
The company owner asked me to help them and agree on monthly payments for 3 more months, I agreed.
The first payment should have been done before 14th Nov by wire transfer, which did not happen and since then I have been chasing him for the payment.
Finally, he provided 3 cheques for Nov, Dec and Jan, when I tried to cash the first cheque it got rejected.
I have sent them an email notice for breach of contract today. I need advice, what can I do further, how can I serve them a legal notice for non-payment and proceed to ask for eviction?
I am not in the UAE hence a POA must be made.
Thanks in advance.

Nov 24, 2020
477
The tenant wants to continue leasing a villa while a notice was not sent
2
Q: Hello,
I am leasing a villa in Dubai since July 2020. Along with the Ejari contract, I have also signed an addendum with the landlord stipulating that I need to inform him at least 90 days prior to contract expiry of my wish to either renew the contract or vacate the unit.
The notice deadline has passed and I have not informed the landlord of my wish to renew my contract. Some days ago (after the notice deadline), the landlord wrote, requesting to vacate the unit upon expiry of my contract, as he will be selling the unit.
The Dubai law stipulates that any non-renewal notice should be given 90 days prior to contract expiry. At the same time, I did not comply with the requirement in the addendum to inform the landlord of my wish to extend.
What will apply in this case? Can the landlord use the addendum as a basis or will the Dubai law prevail and the contract will be "auto-renewed"?
Thank you for your help!

May 17, 2021
753
How to act with tenant who ignores the calls to renew expired tenancy contact?

2
Q: Hi,
I am an apartment owner in Dubai and I agreed with the tenant by phone to renew the tenancy contract for another year.
Now the contract has expired and the tenant is not responding to emails and phones to sign the renewal of the contract.
I left a note on the apartment door but no reply. What can we do in such a case and where can we raise the dispute?


Nov 25, 2021
647
My tenant is due to move out of my apartment and he will delay it one week




0
Q: Hello,
I need some advice.
My tenant is due to move out of my apartment at the end of this month as per the contact dates.
They are now saying that they need an extra week before vacating due to not being able to source movers.
It is my strong belief that they will be subletting for this additional week as this is what they did with the previous owner.
I want them out so I can move in asap. Please what are my options to get this done?





Nov 10, 2022
420
I served my tenant a 12-month eviction notice but he refuses to leave




3
Q: Hi
I had served a 12-month legal notice to my tenant to vacate my apartment.
He had agreed to leave at the expiry of the contract which is 14 Nov.
But now he is saying that he will not be vacating till his new apartment is ready.
How can I evict him on the due date as I need the apartment for my own use from the 15th?





Nov 8, 2022
1679
How to evict the tenant who refuses to leave after sending proper eviction notice?


0
Q: I sent my tenant a 12-month eviction notice in November last year. The eviction notice clearly stated I wish to sell the property. It was sent via DHL, not through the notary.
The tenant signed for receipt of it and confirmed receipt of it in an email and confirmed they would move out on November 22. They are now refusing to move out and refusing to pay rent.
Can I open a case with RDC?



Dec 9, 2022
918
What happens when I give my tenant an eviction notice mid tenancy contract?
2
Q: I gave my tenant a notarised eviction notice to vacate my apartment as I want to sell it. I handed the notice in December 2022, and the current tenancy agreement expires in April 2023.
The tenant has raised a case in RDC seeking a full 12-month contract renewal till April 2024, which will exceed the notice period.
Being a non-UAE resident and not having a unified ID #, I cannot submit my response and have a video hearing soon.
What can I do?

Apr 6, 2023
292
Legal blog
2 available 2 • View allProcedures of the Rental Dispute Settlement Center in Dubai 21
The relationship between tenants and landlords is regulated in Dubai by Law No. 33 of 2008 Concerning the Relationship Between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai. The arising rental disputes are referred to Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (“RDSC”) created by Decree No. 26 of 2013 to reconcile between the parties and reach an amicable settlement or seek a final judgment issued and enforced by the RDSC.
Oct 20, 2018
21433
What You Should Know While Renting a Property in the UAE 5
An interview-format article covering the topic of residential retail properties pertaining to the liability for property maintenance and the repercussions of defaulting on rent payments in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.
Feb 24, 2020
3989
Laws & Regulations
3 available 3 • View allLaw No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai 12
The provisions of this Law apply to real property leased out in the Emirate of Dubai, including vacant and agricultural lands, but excluding hotel establishments and real property provided by natural or legal persons as accommodation to their employees at no charge.
Nov 26, 2007
24348
Law No. (33) of 2008 Amending Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai 8
Provisions of this Law supersede articles (2), (3), (4), (9), (13), (14), (15), (25), (26), (29), and (36) of Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai.
Dec 1, 2008
25067
Decree No. (26) of 2013 Concerning the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre in the Emirate of Dubai 0
This Decree establishes a specialised judicial system to hear rent disputes and develops the procedure for determination of such disputes through an expeditious and simple process for the purpose of realising social and economic stability for all persons involved with the real property rental and other related sectors.
Sep 18, 2013
7320

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How do I resolve a year-long pending police complaint to lift the travel ban? 1
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Can I claim all the cheques, even though some will cover the amount owed? 1
Dear Sir/Madam,
I have invested money in a company in the UAE and got post-dated cheques. They requested to delay the payment for a long time. Now, I deposited one cheque and it bounced.
I am creating a cheque execution case. However, I have a few more cheques to deposit that they owe me. They gave me around 5 cheques, of which 3 will cover the money they owe.
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Is it possible for a married Muslim man to marry a second wife in Dubai if she is non Muslim? 2
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I bought a property and served the tenant an eviction notice. Can I renew his contract only until notice expiry? 0
Hi,
I bought a property in Dubai in November last year and post transfer, I gave the tenant a 1-year notice to vacate the property as I wanted to occupy it.
The current Ejari expires in May. I gave the tenant the option to renew until the end of the notice period i.e. up to next December, however, the tenant wants to renew for 1 more year.
I need to move in in December, what can I do in this situation?
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My husband sold the house we bought jointlyand took a cheque plus 1-year instalments from me. What can I do? 0
Hi,
I am a non-Muslim indian expatriate, residing in Dubai since 2015. The first 5 years, I was on a working visa, and after the delivery of my first baby, I left my job and became dependent on my husband.
In 2018, we bought a house together where I invested AED 2 hundred thousand from my income (I have proof in the form of a cheque). I also paid AED 3300 monthly installment for 1 year, for a personal loan taken out for the house.
But in spite of my resistance, my husband tactfully put the house in his name, so the title deed was in his name. In 2024, when my kids and I were in India for vacation, he cancelled our visas and residency. He also filed for a divorce in India.
The divorce is not yet finalised, and we are still married. Since August 2024, he hasn't let me access my house in Dubai, so I filed a case, which eventually went in my favor in January 2025.
Since I used to travel on a visit visa, I left for India and returned in March, to find out that my husband had already sold the house. The new owner is residing there.
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Can the employer force the housmaid to work for unlimited hours without rest? 0
Hi
I'm a nanny, and at the same time, I work as a housemaid (khadama) here in the house. I work, but as I know, the nannies and housemaids have different rights, and my employer doesn't give me rest.
My work starts at 7:30 am and then finishes at 10 pm or less. It depends on whether the baby is asleep or what time they will take on me if not yet asleep. Is this right?
Also, at the time of eating, I'm still working because the baby is with me, so I just let her sit in her chair. That's how I eat.
Please answer me. I want to know my rights.
Because if I can leave during the 6-month probation, I want to take it if the employer is this kind. I don't know.
They are also expats, but they don't follow the rules of the UAE regarding a housemaid.
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My previous organization has not yet released EOSB because I contacted a client. Is this legal? 0
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Can I renew my trade license and visa if I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me? 0
Hello,
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My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID.
Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases?
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I look forward to your response.
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Can I return to Dubai after 12 years away on a new employment visa? 0
Hello,
I came from Dubai to India on emergency leave, but unfortunately, I did not return. It has now been 12 years. Can I go to Dubai on a new visa?
I have already received a new employment visa from another employer.
Can I return to Dubai, or will there be any problems with UAE immigration?
Please advise!
Apr 30, 2025
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Good morning.
Kindly help me out with the below query:
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Thank you.
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Bank filed a civil case over a loan: Better to settle with the bank or in court? 1
Good day, Sir,
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