Guides · UAE · Dubai
How does the Rental Dispute Centre work?
By Ahmed Elrayes · Updated
The Rental Dispute Centre (RDC), created by Decree 26/2013, hears every rent dispute in Dubai except in free zones with their own courts. You need a registered Ejari to file. The fee is 3.5% of the annual rent, minimum AED 500 and maximum AED 20,000; cases go to conciliation first, then a judgment within weeks, with appeal available when the claim exceeds AED 100,000.
Who can file, and for what?
Landlords file for unpaid rent, eviction on legal grounds, damage or breach of contract; tenants file against unlawful increases, deposit retention, failure to maintain, or eviction without the 12-month notice. Both need the Ejari certificate, the contract, IDs, and evidence (notices, receipts, photos, correspondence).
Fees and steps
File online through the RDC portal or in person at the Dubai Land Department. The fee is 3.5% of annual rent (AED 500–20,000). The first stage is conciliation; most cases settle there. If not, a first-instance judgment typically follows within 30 days of the hearing. Judgments above AED 100,000 may be appealed; enforcement is through the RDC's execution department.
Common mistakes
Filing without Ejari; serving a notice by WhatsApp when the law requires notary public or registered mail; keeping no receipts; letting the 12-month eviction notice lapse; and raising rent above the slab without the index printout.
How Leasifys helps before a dispute
Leasifys keeps the evidence a case needs: bilingual receipts, cheque history, notice letters with service records, move-in and move-out reports with photos, and the deposit settlement with each deduction's evidence. In-app messages are not statutory notices, and the app says so.
Information from the laws and official portals as at the date shown, not legal advice. Check figures on the official channel before acting.