Two lists, two clocks
Article 25 of Law 26 of 2007, as rewritten by Law 33 of 2008, splits eviction into two situations. DURING the tenancy, a landlord may demand eviction only for cause — nine specific grounds, most of them the tenant's own doing. AT THE END of the contract, eviction is limited to four grounds that are about the property itself, and each requires notice at least twelve months before the eviction date. In both situations the notice must go through the notary public or by registered mail — an SMS, an email or a phone call is not an eviction notice.
During the tenancy: the nine grounds
- Non-payment: the tenant fails to pay rent or part of it within 30 days of the landlord's written demand.
- Unauthorised subletting: the tenant sublets without written approval — eviction then reaches the subtenant too, who may claim compensation from the tenant.
- Illegal or immoral use of the property.
- An abandoned commercial shop: left unoccupied without lawful reason for 30 consecutive days or 90 days in a year.
- Dangerous alteration or damage: changes that endanger the property beyond restoration, or damage done intentionally or by gross negligence.
- Use contrary to the leased purpose, or violating planning, building and land-use regulations.
- The building is in danger of collapse, proven by a technical report issued or accredited by Dubai Municipality.
- Any other breach of the contract or the law not remedied within 30 days of written notice.
- Demolition required by the emirate's development plans, on government instructions.
At expiry: four grounds and twelve months
When the contract ends, a landlord who wants the property back may rely on exactly four grounds: demolition or construction works that make occupation impossible, with permits obtained; renovation so comprehensive it cannot be done around a tenant, proven by a municipality-accredited technical report; recovering the home for the owner's own use or a first-degree relative's — with proof the owner has no suitable alternative property; and sale of the property. For every one of them the tenant must receive the reasons in writing at least twelve months before the eviction date, through the notary public or by registered mail.
Personal use has strings attached
The personal-use ground is the most claimed and the most conditional. The owner must prove no suitable alternative property is owned. And under Article 26, once the property is recovered on this ground it cannot be rented to anyone else for two years — three for non-residential property — unless the Rental Disputes Centre shortens the period. If the home reappears on the rental market early, the evicted tenant is entitled to claim compensation.
The property was sold. You do not have to leave
Article 28 is short and absolute: transfer of ownership does not touch the tenancy. The buyer steps into the contract as it stands, to its end, on its terms. A sale is only ever a route to eviction the long way around — the owner serving a twelve-month notary notice on the ground of sale, or the new owner serving their own for one of the lawful grounds. The sentence 'I sold the flat, you have a month' has no legal existence in Dubai.
Who maintains what, and the deposit
The landlord hands over the property in good condition and carries maintenance and the repair of defects during the tenancy, unless the contract allocates it differently — and may not alter the property in any way that spoils its use. The tenant pays on time, treats the home as their own, makes no alterations without permission, and returns it as received, fair wear and tear excepted. The security deposit of Article 20 exists to guarantee that return: the landlord must refund it, or what remains of it after documented repairs, at the end. Fixed improvements stay unless agreed otherwise.
Lines a landlord may never cross
Article 34 forbids cutting the property's services — electricity, water, access — or otherwise obstructing the tenant's use, whatever the dispute. A tenant facing it should record the incident at the local police station and then claim compensation at the Rental Disputes Centre. And Article 31 has the mirror rule for tenants: a pending eviction case never suspends the duty to keep paying rent.
Where disputes go
Every landlord-tenant dispute in Dubai belongs to the Rental Disputes Centre at the Dubai Land Department, established by Decree 26 of 2013. Filing costs 3.5% of the annual rent, with a minimum of 500 AED and a maximum of 20,000 AED. Bring the Ejari certificate — an unregistered contract cannot be heard — the contract, the notices, and the payment record. Cases with clean paperwork move fast.
My landlord says his son is moving in. Can he evict me?
Only at the end of your contract, only with twelve months' written notice through the notary public or registered mail, and only if he proves he owns no suitable alternative property. A first-degree relative qualifies — but if the home is re-let within two years, you can claim compensation at the Rental Disputes Centre.
I received an eviction notice by email. Does the clock start?
No. The law requires eviction notices through the notary public or by registered mail. Any other channel does not constitute valid notice, and the twelve months have not begun.
Can I stop paying rent while I fight the eviction?
No. Article 31 keeps the duty to pay alive through the whole case, to judgment and its execution. Withholding rent hands the landlord the one during-tenancy ground that is easiest to prove.
The building is being demolished. Do I get anything?
Article 29 gives you priority to return to the rebuilt or renovated property, at a rent set by the law's fair-rent standards, provided you exercise the right within 30 days of being notified.
My rent cheque bounced once. Is that instant eviction?
No. The ground is failing to pay within 30 days of the landlord's formal written demand. Pay within that window and the ground evaporates.
This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules change — confirm your own position with a qualified professional before deciding.
