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Rental Dispute Centre

How the Rental Dispute Centre Works

The Rental Dispute Centre, established by Decree No. 26 of 2013, is Dubai’s judicial arm for tenancy disputes — its own filing system, stages, fee schedule and enforcement. Understanding its shape removes most of the fear from a first-time filing.

Scope

Plain-language explainer, not litigation advice. Advocates’ representation is not mandatory at the RDC, but contested or high-value matters belong with one.

Jurisdiction

Landlord-and-tenant matters over Dubai tenancies: rent claims, eviction applications, deposit disputes, contract disputes. Matters outside the tenancy relationship route to the courts proper.

The stages

Filing. The case is lodged with the tenancy contract, Ejari registration, and the documentary record; fees are charged per the published schedule as a percentage of the annual rent within set bounds.
Reconciliation. A settlement stage before adjudication — a large share of matters end here, and a documented offer made in reconciliation frames everything after.
First instance. Judgment on the papers and hearings as directed.
Appeal. Available above the thresholds the schedule sets, within the time limits it sets.
Enforcement. Judgments execute through the Centre’s enforcement arm — the stage claimants underestimate; a judgment is not money.

Preparing a file that wins

Chronology with dates; the contract and Ejari; every notice with proof of service; payment records; photographs where condition is in issue. Tribunals decide on records, not recollections. Structured preparation of exactly this file is the rental product at dispute.ae.

FAQs

Do I need a lawyer at the RDC?

Not as a requirement; for contested or high-value matters, engage one.

What does filing cost?

A percentage of the annual rent per the published schedule, within its minimum and maximum bounds — confirm the current figures at filing.

How long does a case take?

Reconciliation resolves quickly; adjudicated matters run per the Centre’s listing — treat published service standards as categories, not promises.

Can a judgment be appealed?

Above the schedule’s thresholds and within its time limits.

References

Decree No. 26 of 2013 — official text.
Rental Dispute Centre — services and fee schedule (official).

Last updated: 28 July 2026 · Editorial method