Q: I rented out my flat in Dubai in Jan 2021. I live outside of Dubai and have decided to sell my unit and had notified the tenant 5 months before the expiry of the contract that I'm not going to renew. The tenant has sent me an email stating that as per Dubai law, I have to give him a 12 months notice. This was not stated in the contract and the rental agent did not mention this to me. Is there any way I can end the tenancy on the date the contract expires (Jan 2022)?

Q: Hello, I served my tenant an eviction notice on 5 Dec 2021 to leave the property. His tenancy contract was to be renewed on 5 Jan 2022 and I renewed it for the period of 5 Jan 2022 to 6 December 2022. So is it fine as I am giving him 12 months to evict the property (notice on 5 December 2021)? Or do I need to make it 5 January 2021 to 5 January 2022?

Q: Hi, I recently purchased a home and it is currently rented but I want to move on. 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 earlier. But 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 finishes in January. Please advise! Thanks!

Q: Hello, I live in a villa in Dubai with my family. Last year when I renewed my tenancy agreement, the landlord informed me via email that he would not be renewing the tenancy in the following year as he wants to sell the property. He informed me that he would send a notarised eviction letter by registered post. This eviction letter never arrived, therefore as there are less than 90 days left on the tenancy agreement which ends in Jan 2023, I requested for the lease to be renewed. The landlord responded to me telling me that he will not be renewing the lease as he informed me last year via email that he would not be renewing this year. I told him that as he didn't send a notarised eviction notice or letter by registered post then he should renew the tenancy for another 12 months. He has refused and said that I should vacate the property at the end of my current tenancy. Please can you advise if he is correct? Thank you!

Q: Hi, My tenant's new tenancy contract starts in two days. Do I need to serve him a 12 months notice if I don't wish to renew the tenancy contract any further beyond one year? Where can I get this eviction notice done in Dubai?

Q: Hello, I am living in a flat in Dubai. The contract states that the owner should give me a 90-day notice if he wants to take the flat. However, the real estate agent called me three weeks after the due date and told me that the owner wants to take possession of the flat to live in it. I am not very familiar with the laws here, but can I force the owner to renew the contract as he contacted me three weeks after the due date? Or does he have the right to invoke this reason whenever he pleases, thus bypassing the 90-day notice? How can I verify that the landlord really wants to live in the flat? Because once I leave, he could rent it again without my knowledge. Thank you for your responses!

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: 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?

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.

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 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.

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.