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Tenancy
Dubai tenancy runs on Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended: contracts renew unless lawfully ended, eviction is ground-based and notice-driven, and rent increases are capped by decree against the market index. Most tenancy conflict comes from not knowing which of those three rules is in play.
Plain-language explainer. Specific disputes are decided at the Rental Dispute Centre; contested matters belong with an advocate.
A tenancy does not end because the term does. Absent lawful grounds and notice, the relationship continues on renewal — which is why the notice rules matter more than the end date on the contract.
The law recognises defined grounds during the term (non-payment within the statutory window after notice, unlawful use, subletting without consent, and others) and defined grounds at expiry — including the landlord’s sale of the property or genuine personal use — which require twelve months’ notice served through the notary public or registered mail. Ground plus notice plus form: all three, or the eviction fails.
Decree No. 43 of 2013 ties the permissible increase to how far the current rent sits below the RERA index for comparable property: within ten percent below, no increase; deeper gaps step through five, ten, fifteen and up to a maximum of twenty percent. The index, checked through the official calculator, is the starting point of every renewal negotiation.
Unless the contract allocates otherwise, major maintenance defaults to the landlord and the tenant returns the premises in the condition consistent with fair use. Deposits are returnable against that standard — documentation at move-in is what makes the argument later.
Tenancy disputes are decided by the Rental Dispute Centre — the process, stages and fee structure are on the RDC page of this site. Structured preparation of a rental dispute file is available at dispute.ae.
Only on lawful grounds with twelve months’ notarised or registered-mail notice.
Per the Decree 43 slabs against the RERA index — from zero to a maximum of twenty percent depending on the gap.
Major maintenance defaults to the landlord unless the contract says otherwise.
Registration and written terms are what the system recognises; undocumented arrangements create risk for both sides.
Last updated: 28 July 2026 · Editorial method