Guide · updated 31.07.2026 · 13 min read · Lucent Legal team

Got an Eviction Notice in Dubai? What to Do and When You Can Fight It

A letter from your landlord saying "vacate the apartment" is unsettling even if you've never broken your contract. But in Dubai, eviction isn't a one-sided decision — there's a strict procedure, a minimum notice period, and a fixed list of legal grounds. If any of that wasn't followed, you can contest the notice, and if the landlord lied about the reason, you can claim compensation. Below is what the law actually says (Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008), when 12 months' notice is mandatory, when eviction is illegal, and how to file a case with the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC).

One thing upfront: this is Dubai-specific. The RDC is a Dubai Land Department body and only handles rental disputes over Dubai property — Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and the other emirates have their own committees and their own rules.

The Law: 26/2007 and Amendment 33/2008

The landlord-tenant relationship in Dubai is governed by Law No. 26 of 2007 (Regulating the Relationship Between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai), as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. These two instruments are the source of every eviction rule here — not "general UAE practice." Other emirates run on their own laws.

The law splits eviction into two very different scenarios:

• Eviction during the contract term (before it expires) — Article 25(1): allowed only for specific tenant breaches.
• Non-renewal at expiry — Article 25(2): allowed for a limited list of "no-fault" grounds unrelated to any tenant wrongdoing, but only with a long advance notice.

That split is the key to working out whether the notice you received is actually legal.

Ground 1: Tenant Breach (Article 25(1))

If a landlord wants to evict a tenant before the contract term ends, they need one of the grounds listed in Article 25(1) of Law No. 26 of 2007. These include:

• Non-payment of rent for 30 days after a written demand for payment.
• Subletting the unit to a third party without the landlord's written consent.
• Using the property for an unauthorised purpose or illegal activity.
• Unauthorised structural alterations without the landlord's consent.

For this category, the typical notice period is shorter than 12 months — sources agree on 30 days' written warning to fix the breach (for example, paying overdue rent) before the case can go to the RDC for eviction. The exact period and wording depend on the specific breach and your contract terms — get a lawyer's read on it if it's contested.

Ground 2: Contract Expiry — "No-Fault" Reasons and the 12-Month Notice

If the tenant hasn't broken anything but the landlord still wants the unit back at contract expiry, Article 25(2) gives a limited list of legal grounds:

1. Sale of the property — the landlord plans to sell the unit or villa.
2. Personal use — the landlord or a first-degree relative plans to move in.
3. Demolition or major renovation, making it impossible for the tenant to keep living there. For demolition specifically, the landlord must already hold all the necessary permits from the relevant authorities — just "planning to demolish" without paperwork in hand doesn't count as a valid ground.

One hard rule applies to all of these: a minimum of 12 months' written notice before the actual eviction date, and it must be served through a notary public or by registered mail — a verbal warning, a WhatsApp message, or a plain letter with no proof of delivery does not count as legal notice. These two channels are what create documented proof the tenant received it — with notarised service, the recipient can't later claim they "never saw" the notice, since delivery is recorded against a signature.

When Eviction Is Illegal

An eviction notice can and should be contested if any of these apply:

• It wasn't served through a notary or registered mail — for example, only verbally, over messaging apps, or by ordinary letter with no proof of receipt.
• The 12-month period wasn't met for Article 25(2) grounds — the notice arrived less than a year before the eviction date.
• The stated ground is a pretext. For example, the landlord claims "personal use" but the real goal is to lock in a higher rent from a new tenant or get around RERA's rent-increase caps.
• Demolition without permits. "Demolition/renovation" is cited as the ground, but the landlord doesn't hold the required permits from Dubai's relevant authorities.
• Eviction mid-contract without an Article 25(1) ground. The landlord simply wants out of an active contract early with no valid reason — that's not grounds for eviction.

The RDC scrutinises the stated reason closely, especially for "personal use" claims — the committee can ask for proof the landlord genuinely intends to live there, rather than using it as cover to dodge rent controls or charge a new tenant more.

Compensation If the Landlord Lied About the Reason

The law specifically protects a tenant evicted under the pretext of personal use if the landlord then re-lets the unit:

• If the stated ground was personal use, the landlord cannot re-let the unit to a third party for at least 2 years (residential property) or 3 years (non-residential) from the date they actually took the property back — unless the RDC sets a shorter period for that specific case.
• If that restriction is broken — the landlord re-lets earlier than allowed — the former tenant can file an RDC claim for compensation.
• The law doesn't fix a compensation amount — the RDC decides case by case, based on the tenant's actual losses: moving costs, the rent difference on new housing, and the remaining time left on the old contract. According to available sources, the RDC has historically awarded compensation in the range of roughly one to three months' rent, but that's a reference point, not a guaranteed figure — the actual amount depends on the specifics of the case.
• There's also a notable outlier: according to Gulf News, in one case a landlord was ordered to pay a tenant AED 700,000 in compensation for unlawful eviction — showing that where the harm is serious, awards can go well beyond the "typical" range, though such cases aren't the norm and depend on proven losses.

How to Contest a Notice at the RDC — Step by Step

1. Check the notice's formal validity. Who served it and how — notary or registered mail? Does it state an exact eviction date and ground? Was there at least 12 months between service and the eviction date (for Article 25(2) grounds)?

2. Gather evidence for your position. Your tenancy contract and Ejari copy, the notice itself (with the notary stamp or registered-mail receipt), correspondence with the landlord, and anything suggesting the stated ground isn't genuine — for example, a listing advertising the same unit for rent while you're being told it's for "personal use."

3. Register an account with the RDC (Rental Dispute Centre, part of the Dubai Land Department) — filing is done online, tied to your Emirates ID/passport, email, and phone number.

4. File your claim, stating what you want: the notice declared invalid / the ground contested, or — if the eviction already happened unlawfully — compensation.

5. Upload your documents: tenancy contract, Ejari, a copy of the notice, and any evidence of a procedural breach or a bad-faith ground.

6. Pay the filing fee online (via Noqodi, card, or online banking) — for eviction and rental disputes, the rate is 3.5% of annual rent, minimum AED 500; sources disagree on the cap (some cite AED 20,000, others a different threshold for purely monetary claims) — confirm the exact figure when you file, or with a lawyer.

7. Wait for a hearing date — usually no sooner than 7 days after the fee is paid.

8. Attend the hearing (in person or through a representative) — the RDC judge reviews both sides' documents and typically rules within one or two sessions.

9. Enforcement. If the RDC voids the notice or awards compensation and the landlord doesn't comply voluntarily, the ruling goes to the Execution Court for enforcement.

If the claim value doesn't exceed AED 100,000, the first-instance ruling is usually final; above that, the losing side can appeal within a limited window after the ruling, with a deposit required — check the exact appeal terms with a lawyer for your claim amount.

What to Read Next

Eviction almost always comes bundled with deposit and rent-increase issues — if the landlord is also dragging its feet on returning your deposit after move-out, the process and RDC claim costs are covered in our guide to the rental deposit in Dubai. How the Rental Dispute Centre itself works — instances, timelines, appeals, and enforcement — is covered in detail in a separate guide on the RDC in Dubai.

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