Q: Hi, My current apartment lease ends on 19 Nov 2021, the owner emailed me yesterday that he wants to move in and asked us to vacate after our lease ends. I told them that they should've sent me a 12-month advance notice via notary and I am not evicting the apartment. Also, he did not send me a renewal agreement and we are now two weeks past the 3-month renewal deadline. I want to know what are my options. Should I file a dispute and ask for renewal under the current agreement?

Q: Hi, I recently purchased a house and it's currently rented but I want to move in. The law says that 1-year eviction notice is needed, but the tenancy contract states that the landlord has the right not to renew the tenancy contract by writing a notice 90 days before expiry. This contract was signed by the previous owner, so will this be applicable, or do I have to give him a 1-year eviction notice? The tenancy contract ends on January 15, please advise. Thanks.

Q: What is the correct way to serve an eviction notice for a rented villa? I understand it can be sent by registered mail/courier but also that it needs to be prepared in a legal format by a notary public. Kindly confirm. Thank you.

Q: My tenant is not receiving the eviction notice and trying to delay the process of serving the notice from the Dubai court. She also makes excuses whenever I organize viewing for selling the apartment. How can this be handled?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord has sent me an eviction notice via email. As far as I know, they need to serve a formal notarized notice, stamped by the courts and delivered by Aramex, Emirates post or any registered mail/postal services for us to vacate the property. Can we stay because they didn't send the notarized notice through postal services? Or should we vacate the property?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord has just given me a 12-month notice to vacate the villa. I know that this is because rents have increased significantly, and he wants to rent it out at a higher rent. As I understand it, landlords can only ask tenants to vacate if they want to sell the property or live in it themselves. The legal notice through the Dubai Courts notary did not state these as reasons for the notice; it simply stated that I must vacate within 12 months. What are my options in this case?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord has sent me an eviction notice via email only as per below: Dear Sir, Please Move out of my apartment after 12 months as I will live there. Regards, As far as I know, they need to serve a formal notarized notice, delivered by Aramex, Emirates Post, or any registered mail/postal services for us to vacate the property. Can we stay because he didn't send the notarized notice through postal services? Or should we vacate the property?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord gave me notice on plain paper last year when the lease was renewed. He wrote two reasons for eviction: one that he may sell the property and the other that he may move in. The eviction letter was signed by him only, but the property has two owners (husband and wife). This year, when he asked me to vacate the property, I informed him that, according to the RDC, the notice needs to be from a notary public or sent via registered mail. I then submitted an Offer and Deposit with the RDC, but the landlord didn't respond. The lease expired on May 10th. The landlord hasn't followed up with anything so far. According to RERA, the rental contract is automatically renewed unless terminated by the courts (for non-payment, eviction, etc.). What course of action should I take now? Should I send an email to the landlord with the cheques, mentioning they are ready since I already submitted the Offer and Deposit, or should I file a case? Or should I wait for the landlord to approach me or file a case?

Q: Hi, Can the landlord stick the eviction notice on the apartment door, or should it be delivered by a specific method? Also, can he ask me to leave from the date the notice was issued or from the date I received it? Thanks!

Q: Dear Lawyers, I filed an offer & deposit but due to the nonresponse of the landlord, the case was rejected as confirmed by RDC. 1. Offer & deposit filed at the beginning of Jan 2025, supported by the Dec 2024 RERA Rental Index, which indicated no rent increase for my lease expiring in Jan 2025. However, the landlord mentioned that the updated RERA Calculator for this year reflects a 5% rent increase. 2. The landlord claims to have sent a rental notice over 90 days prior, but the email was sent to an unregistered address. As per the tenancy contract, the email address they used is not the official one. RDC advised me to wait for the landlord to file a case against me, as I am not in urgent need of Ejari. However, I am concerned about potential legal repercussions for non-payment of rent & would like guidance on the following: • Do I have a compelling case based on the details above? • How & where can I deposit the cheques to avoid the landlord suing me for non-payment? Thank you in advance.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.