Real Estate
The Rental Disputes Center (RDC) is the judicial body that decides disputes between landlords and tenants in Dubai. It operates within the Dubai Land Department under Decree No. 26 of 2013, which calls it the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre. A case is filed online with the tenancy documents, can be settled at the conciliation stage, is otherwise decided by a first-instance tribunal, and can be appealed in some cases; the RDC then enforces its own judgments. The filing fee for most rental claims is 3.5% of the annual rent, with a minimum of AED 500 and a maximum of AED 20,000.
This guide explains what the RDC decides, what you need before you file, what it costs, and what happens at each stage, based on the decree and the RDC's own published procedures.
What the RDC Decides
Under Article 6 of the decree, the RDC has exclusive jurisdiction over rent disputes between landlords and tenants of property in Dubai, including in free zones, together with counterclaims, urgent or interim applications, appeals against its own decisions and the enforcement of its judgments. Since 2019 it also decides disputes under the jointly owned property law, Law No. 6 of 2019, such as disagreements over service charges. Two 2026 laws have added disputes about shared housing and evictions needed for works under the building quality and safety law.
The RDC does not decide:
rental disputes in free zones that have their own tribunals or courts for them, such as the DIFC, where the DIFC Courts hear leasing claims;
disputes under lease-finance contracts;
disputes under long-term leases covered by Law No. 7 of 2006.
Before You File
Many claims depend on a notice served before the case is filed. An eviction claim needs the notice required by Law No. 26 of 2007: a notice to pay and 30 days for unpaid rent, or at least 12 months' notice for an eviction at the end of the tenancy, served through a notary public or by registered mail. Our guide to rental disputes in Dubai explains the notice rules for each situation.
For a first-instance or conciliation claim, the RDC asks for:
a copy of the latest tenancy contract (Ejari);
an Emirates ID for individuals, or for companies the trade licence and the manager's or owner's ID;
a bank letter or statement showing the claimant's IBAN;
for eviction claims, the notarised notice with the notification officer's report, or the registered-mail receipt;
supporting documents such as a power of attorney, a management contract, cheques, bills and correspondence.
Documents must be in Arabic or legally translated into Arabic, and they are uploaded to the system; hard copies are not accepted. The RDC's FAQ says a claim can be filed without a written contract if a request to prove the tenancy relationship is added. The RDC also offers a free online Virtual Judge tool that indicates your rights before you file; the RDC states that it does not otherwise give legal advice.
How to File and What It Costs
Claims are filed through the RDC website or at a Real Estate Services Trustee centre. Online, you open an account, enter the claim and upload the documents, and pay the fee once the claim has been checked electronically. Hearings take place remotely, and the judgment is sent by email and published in your account. You can follow a case on the RDC website or in the Dubai REST app.
The RDC's service pages list these fees for first-instance claims:
eviction, renewal, rent claims and termination of a lease: 3.5% of the annual rent, minimum AED 500, maximum AED 20,000;
other money claims: 3.5% of the amount claimed, minimum AED 500, maximum AED 15,000;
in addition, AED 100 for service of process, AED 25 to register a power of attorney where one is used, and AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees;
an extra AED 130 plus VAT if the claim is filed at a Trustee centre.
Enforcing an eviction judgment costs 1% of the annual rent, up to AED 5,000. The RDC also has a service for requesting an exemption from, or postponement of, fees. Fees are as listed on the RDC's service pages when checked in September 2026, so check the current service page before you file.
Conciliation and Settlement
The decree created a Mediation and Conciliation Directorate to settle disputes amicably (Article 10). It aims to settle a dispute within 15 days of the parties appearing before it, a period the supervising judge can extend, and limitation periods stop running from the date the dispute is registered with it. A settlement is recorded in an agreement approved by the judge, which can be enforced like a judgment, and half of the basic fee is refunded if the parties settle. Urgent and interim applications do not go through conciliation.
The RDC describes claims as being reviewed by its Conciliation Department before they reach a first-instance tribunal, and a case can also be referred to conciliation during a first-instance hearing. Whichever way your case starts, it is worth preparing for a realistic settlement discussion.
The First-Instance Hearing and Judgment
Each first-instance tribunal has a chair, normally a judge, and two members experienced in law and property (Article 13). Tribunals decide under Dubai legislation, Islamic Sharia, the principles of justice and fairness, and custom where it does not conflict with the law. The decree requires a tribunal to decide a claim within 30 days of the file being referred to it, a period that can be extended (Article 16).
Appeals
A first-instance judgment in a rent claim worth less than AED 100,000 is final (Article 17). It can still be appealed, whatever the amount, if:
it orders eviction;
it breaches the rules of jurisdiction;
it grants relief nobody requested, grants more than was requested, or ignores a request;
it was issued against a person who was not properly represented, or the summons was not validly served;
it rests on documents or testimony later found to be false;
a party concealed evidence that would have changed the outcome.
An appeal must be filed within 15 days from the day after the hearing at which the judgment was issued, or from service of the judgment for a party who attended no hearing and filed no defence (Article 18). In a money claim, the party ordered to pay must deposit half of the judgment amount with the RDC until the appeal is decided, although the RDC's chairman can reduce or waive the deposit. Appeals are heard by two judges and a real estate expert, and their judgments are final (Article 14).
Enforcement
Final judgments are enforced by the RDC's own Judgment Enforcement Directorate, which can ask the Dubai Courts for assistance (Article 21). The execution service covers every type of judgment, including eviction, payment of money and renewal of a lease, and it requires the judgment bearing the enforcement stamp. The RDC also enforces dishonoured rent cheques directly, without a full claim; see our page on a bounced rent cheque for what that involves.
Other Orders the RDC Can Make
Petition orders. A judge can make temporary binding orders in urgent cases, for example to restore water and electricity, to renew a trade licence, to activate access cards or to record damage or subletting.
Payment orders. A summary order for a sum that is due, available after the debtor has been sent a demand through a notary public or by registered mail and five days have passed without payment.
Offer and deposit. If a landlord refuses to accept the rent or the keys, the tenant can ask the judge for an order to deposit them with the RDC.
Grievances. A petition order or an offer-and-deposit decision can be challenged by a grievance filed within eight days.
Getting Advice Before and During a Case
Most RDC cases turn on the paperwork: whether the notice was served correctly, what the contract and the Ejari record say, and whether the payments can be proved. MAX Legal Consultancy reviews that paperwork, prepares the claim or the defence and advises you at each stage. See our rental dispute legal services, or our real estate lawyer in Dubai page for other property matters.
This guide is general information about the Rental Disputes Center, based on Decree No. 26 of 2013 and the procedures and fees listed on the RDC's website when checked in September 2026. It is not legal advice for your specific situation. Official English translations of Dubai legislation state that the Arabic text prevails in case of conflict.
