Guide · updated 31.07.2026 · 14 min read · Lucent Legal team

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

Talking it out didn't work, your messages are being ignored, and the issue still needs resolving — an unreturned deposit, a rent hike with no basis, or a refusal to move out after the contract ended. Dubai has a dedicated body for exactly this, separate from the regular civil courts: the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC), also called the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC) — a specialised body under the Dubai Land Department (DLD). Below, step by step: which disputes it handles, what documents you need (including Ejari), how to file online, what it costs and how long it takes, how to appeal, and what happens if the losing side won't pay voluntarily.

One thing up front: everything below is about Dubai specifically. The RDC handles disputes over property registered in the Ejari system in the emirate of Dubai. Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and the other emirates have their own rental committees and their own rules — don't apply Dubai's fees or timelines to a different emirate.

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

The RDC isn't an ordinary court — it's a specialised dispute-resolution body under the Dubai Land Department, working alongside the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA). The English name varies across sources — Rental Dispute Centre, Rental Disputes Settlement Centre, more recently just Rental Disputes Center — but it's the same body; RDC and RDSC are used interchangeably.

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, whether 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 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.

The baseline rule across all of these: the RDC only takes a case 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 even 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 starting condition for the case to be heard at all, not a formality. Without a current (or at least the most recent) Ejari certificate, a claim either won't get past filing or will stall 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/respondent is a legal entity; - a copy of the passport with a valid residence visa (for expats); - the management contract, if the property is under a management company; - a bank letter showing the IBAN, for cases involving a specific amount to be recovered; - for eviction cases, a copy of the legal/notarised warning that must have already been sent to the respondent, through a notary or a delivery-service notice; - supporting documents specific to the claim: correspondence, invoices, photos/video of the property's condition, payment receipts — the exact set depends on the type of claim.

The system only accepts legible electronic copies — there's no physical paperwork to submit — which is exactly why it's worth scanning everything properly 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 with the RDC is fully electronic, through the Dubai Land Department portal (dubailand.gov.ae) or the Dubai REST app. An in-person visit to the RDC office in Deira is also possible — a staff member (typist) will fill in the same form for you — but it's the identical online process, just with someone else's hands on the keyboard.

1. Register an account in the DLD dispute-resolution system, using Emirates ID/passport, email, and phone number.
2. Enter the tenancy contract details — Ejari number and details, the parties, the property.
3. State the respondent's details and the nature of the claim — exactly what you're asking for: return of the deposit, recovery of a debt, cancellation of an unjustified rent increase, eviction of the tenant, and so on. The claim needs to be 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 date itself, but no sooner than 7 days after payment.
8. Attend the hearing, in person or through a lawyer/representative with power of attorney — most cases are resolved 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 fee rate is a flat 3.5%, but the base it's calculated on and the cap both depend on the type of claim:

• 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 — worth confirming the exact calculation directly in the system when filing, since the final figure depends on how the claims combine.

On top of that, small fixed charges almost always apply: 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 filing through a representative. Filing through a Real Estate Services Trustees Centre adds roughly another AED 130 plus VAT.

If the parties settle before or during the hearing, 50% of the base fee is typically refunded — an incentive to settle even after a case has already been filed.

How long it takes

Once the fee is paid, the system automatically assigns a committee and hearing date — no sooner than 7 days later. According to some sources, a portion of cases first go 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 depend on 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, submits counter-evidence, or requests adjournments can stretch to 1-2 months or longer. No one can guarantee an exact timeline for a specific case in advance — that's a conversation to have with the lawyer handling it, once they've seen the respondent's side of the case.

Appeal: when a decision can be challenged

An appeal goes to the RDC's Appeal Department within 15 days of the judgment date if the party 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 only accepted 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.

Filing an appeal requires 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 consists of a presiding judge and two members, one a judge and the other a real-estate expert.

Enforcing the judgment

If a judgment has become 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).

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

A practical point: winning an RDC judgment doesn't mean the money or the keys show up the next day. If the other side doesn't pay voluntarily, you still have to go through a separate enforcement process — and in practising lawyers' experience, that can take extra time, especially if 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 — with a fixed fee structure and no drawn-out process. But a simplified procedure doesn't change the fact that the outcome comes down to the paperwork: without Ejari and without evidence, even an obviously fair claim loses ground. If the amount is significant, the other side has already hired a lawyer, or the case combines several claims, getting a lawyer's input before filing usually pays for itself.

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