Guide · updated 16.08.2026 · 13 min read · Lucent Legal team

Landlord or Tenant Dispute in Dubai: How to File with the Rental Dispute Centre — 2026

Talking it out failed, your messages go ignored, and the problem still stands: an unreturned deposit, a groundless rent hike, or a tenant who won't leave after the contract ended. Dubai runs one body built for exactly this, separate from the civil courts — the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC), also called the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC), under the Dubai Land Department (DLD). What follows: which disputes it handles, the documents you need (including Ejari), how to file online, the cost and timeline, the appeal route, and what happens if the losing side won't pay voluntarily.

One thing first: all of this is Dubai-specific. The RDC handles disputes over property registered in the Ejari system in the emirate of Dubai. Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and the other emirates run their own rental committees with their own rules — don't apply Dubai's fees or timelines elsewhere.

What the RDC (RDSC) is and what disputes it handles

The RDC is a specialised dispute-resolution body under the Dubai Land Department, working alongside the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) — not an ordinary court. The English name shifts between sources — Rental Dispute Centre, Rental Disputes Settlement Centre, lately just Rental Disputes Center — but it's one body, and RDC and RDSC mean the same thing.

Cases the RDC handles in Dubai: - non-return or unlawful withholding of a rental deposit — for the lawful grounds a landlord can withhold a deposit on, and how to contest it, see our separate guide on the rental deposit in Dubai; - a rent increase above the RERA index with no valid grounds; - a tenant's failure to pay rent — including when a rent cheque bounces; - eviction, at the end of the contract term or early, on grounds the law allows; for what a valid 12-month eviction notice must look like and how to contest one, see our guide on eviction from a rental in Dubai; - early termination of the contract and disputes over the penalties for it; - a refusal to renew a tenancy on the existing terms, or a dispute over the renewal terms; - since 2019, a separate category for joint-ownership disputes in residential complexes.

One rule runs through all of these: the RDC takes a case only if the tenancy is registered in Ejari. A verbal agreement, or a contract that was never registered, makes the case much harder — there's almost nothing to prove the tenancy existed, let alone its terms.

Ejari is mandatory: what to prepare before filing

Ejari is Dubai's mandatory tenancy-registration system, and for the RDC it's a precondition for a hearing, not a formality. Without a current certificate — or at least the most recent one — a claim either stalls at filing or gets stuck in document review.

The standard filing package: - a copy of the most recent tenancy contract registered in Ejari; - a copy of the Emirates ID — the individual's, or the company manager's if the claimant or respondent is a legal entity; - a copy of the passport with a valid residence visa (for expats); - the management contract, if the property sits under a management company; - a bank letter showing the IBAN, for cases claiming a specific amount to be recovered; - for eviction cases, a copy of the legal/notarised warning already sent to the respondent, through a notary or a delivery-service notice; - supporting documents specific to the claim: correspondence, invoices, photos or video of the property's condition, payment receipts — the exact set depends on the claim type.

The system takes only legible electronic copies — there's no physical paperwork to submit — so scan everything cleanly beforehand. A blurry Ejari or passport scan is a common reason a filing gets bounced back for correction.

How to file online — step by step

Filing is fully electronic, through the Dubai Land Department portal (dubailand.gov.ae) or the Dubai REST app. You can also visit the RDC office in Deira, where a staff member (typist) fills in the same form for you — the identical process, just someone else's hands on the keyboard.

1. Register an account in the DLD dispute-resolution system, using Emirates ID or passport, email, and phone number.
2. Enter the tenancy contract details — Ejari number and details, the parties, the property.
3. State the respondent and the nature of the claim — exactly what you want: return of the deposit, recovery of a debt, cancellation of an unjustified rent increase, eviction of the tenant, and so on. Make it specific, with an amount attached if money is involved.
4. Upload the documents from the list above — each file separately, in a legible format.
5. Save and submit the electronic claim (e-lawsuit); the system then generates the payment details.
6. Pay the fee online — via Noqodi, card, or online banking.
7. Wait for a case number and hearing date — the system assigns the committee and the nearest available slot itself, but no sooner than 7 days after payment.
8. Attend the hearing, in person or through a lawyer or representative with power of attorney — most cases close in one or two hearings, not months.

A power of attorney for filing through a representative is registered separately and costs AED 25 — skip this step if you're handling the case yourself.

What filing costs: the 3.5% fee and other charges

The rate is a flat 3.5%, but the base it applies to and the cap both depend on the claim type:

• Monetary claims — deposit recovery, a specific unpaid-rent amount, and similar: 3.5% of the claim amount, minimum AED 500, maximum AED 15,000.
• Eviction, renewal, and rent-level disputes (no specific monetary amount, but about the tenancy itself): 3.5% of the annual rent, minimum AED 500, maximum AED 20,000.
• Combined cases (eviction plus a monetary claim in one filing): some sources put the combined cap as high as AED 35,000 — confirm the exact calculation in the system when you file, since the final figure depends on how the claims combine.

Small fixed charges almost always apply on top: AED 100 for serving notice on the respondent, AED 10 each for the "knowledge fee" and "innovation fee," and AED 25 for a power of attorney if you file through a representative. Filing through a Real Estate Services Trustees Centre adds roughly another AED 130 plus VAT.

Settle before or during the hearing and typically 50% of the base fee comes back — an incentive to settle even after a case is already filed.

How long it takes

Once the fee is paid, the system assigns a committee and hearing date automatically — no sooner than 7 days later. Per some sources, a share of cases first goes to an Amicable Settlement/Arbitration unit, which aims to close the dispute within roughly 15 days without a full hearing.

Beyond that, timelines vary by source and by how complex the case is. Straightforward deposit or fixed-amount disputes often close in one or two hearings within about a month of filing; cases where the respondent disputes the amount, files counter-evidence, or asks for adjournments can stretch to 1-2 months or longer. No one can promise an exact timeline for a specific case up front — that's a conversation with the lawyer handling it, once they've seen the respondent's side.

Appeal: when a decision can be challenged

An appeal goes to the RDC's Appeal Department within 15 days of the judgment date if you attended the hearing, or from the date of notification if the judgment was issued in absentia.

The key limit: an appeal on a monetary claim is accepted only if the amount in dispute is AED 100,000 or more; first-instance decisions on smaller amounts are final, with no right of appeal. For eviction cases there's no minimum amount — these can be appealed regardless of the rent involved.

An appeal needs a deposit of 50% of the awarded amount (refunded if the decision is overturned), plus fees: AED 100 for notice, AED 100 to register the appeal, AED 25 for power of attorney if applicable, and AED 10 each for the "knowledge" and "innovation" fees. Appeal Department decisions are final; the panel is a presiding judge and two members, one a judge and one a real-estate expert.

Enforcing the judgment

Once a judgment is final and the losing side won't pay or won't move out voluntarily, the winning side can request enforcement — no sooner than 15 days after the judgment was issued (the day after the ruling, plus that waiting period).

The Department of Law Enforcement handles enforcement together with the Execution Court. For monetary judgments, the tools include freezing bank accounts, a travel ban, and seizing the debtor's assets; for eviction judgments, the authorities can carry out a forced handover of the property. Enforcing an eviction judgment costs 1% of the annual rent, capped at AED 5,000, plus separate notice fees.

A practical point: winning an RDC judgment doesn't put the money or the keys in your hand the next day. If the other side won't pay voluntarily, you still go through a separate enforcement process — and in practising lawyers' experience, that adds time, especially when the debtor has no assets in the UAE or has already left the country.

Bottom line: when to go to the RDC, and when to see a lawyer first

The RDC exists to make Dubai rental disputes faster and cheaper to resolve than a regular court case — a fixed fee structure, no drawn-out process. But a simpler procedure doesn't change what decides the outcome: the paperwork.

Without Ejari and without evidence, even an obviously fair claim loses ground. If the amount is significant, the other side already has a lawyer, or the case bundles several claims, a lawyer's input before filing usually pays for itself.

Topic: Dubai Tenant Rights 2026

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.