What can I do if my tenant is not paying rent in Dubai?

Confirm the amount actually due before accusing the tenant of non-payment. Compare the signed contract, payment schedule, bank records and any agreed extension. List each overdue instalment separately, showing its due date, amount received and outstanding balance.

Ask the tenant for proof if they say they have paid. Check whether a transfer is pending or was sent to the wrong account. Keep rent separate from disputed maintenance costs, utility bills or other charges.

Fictional example 1: a missed instalment. A tenant misses the agreed payment date and says a transfer was made. The landlord checks the account and asks for the transfer confirmation. If the money arrives, the record is updated. If it does not, the landlord has a clear starting point for the next step.

Generally, 30 days from service of the payment notice, unless the parties agreed otherwise. This comes from Article 25(1)(a), as amended by Dubai Law No. 33 of 2008.

The trigger is service of the notice requesting payment. Do not simply count 30 days from the original rent due date or the day you drafted a letter. Keep evidence of when and how the notice was served, and have the deadline checked before filing.

This is different from the 12-month notice used for certain other eviction grounds, such as selling the property or personal use. Our guide to landlord notices in Dubai explains those separate situations.

Use WhatsApp for reminders, but do not assume it satisfies the formal eviction-notice requirement. For eviction grounds under Article 25(1), the amended law specifies service through a Notary Public or registered mail.

Have the notice identify the tenancy, unpaid rent and payment demand accurately. Keep the notice and its delivery evidence together. A screenshot saying "please pay today" should not be your only preparation for an eviction claim.

If service fails, or the tenant disputes receiving it, get the delivery record checked by a qualified legal adviser before relying on the deadline.

For a tenancy within its jurisdiction, use RDC's rental dispute services. There are two useful starting points:

• Amicable settlement: an attempt to agree a solution through RDC. A settlement signed by the parties and conciliator and approved by the supervising judge can be enforced through RDC.
• A first-instance rental case: a claim for a decision on the dispute.

You can apply through RDC's website or an authorised Real Estate Services Trustee centre. RDC's filing guidance explains how to enter the parties and claims, upload evidence and follow the case. Pay the assessed fee and attend the scheduled session.

State what you want clearly: unpaid rent, eviction, or both. Ask the service centre about filing requirements; use a qualified legal adviser for advice about your rights and case strategy.

Prepare a complete, organised file. RDC's published requirements include:

• The latest tenancy contract/Ejari, meaning the registered tenancy record.
• Identification, with company documents where applicable.
• A bank letter or statement showing your IBAN, the international bank account number.
• The formal notice and proof of service when seeking eviction.
• Supporting records such as cheques, payment evidence and correspondence.

Documents must be in Arabic or legally translated into Arabic. Additional papers depend on the claim and who files it.

As a practical aid, add a dated payment summary. Give files clear names so the contract, missing instalment, reminder and notice can be followed in order. Keep original records and submit sensitive documents only through the official process.

There are filing fees, and the total depends on the claims. RDC's rental case fee schedule lists:

• For categories including rent claims and eviction: 3.5% of annual rent, or the relevant lease value for a different term; minimum AED 500, maximum AED 20,000.
• For the separately listed monetary-claim category: 3.5% of the amount claimed; minimum AED 500, maximum AED 15,000.

Do not assume every request for money uses the second category. Confirm how your particular claim is classified and the full amount payable before submitting.

Also budget for notice service, legal translation and any trustee-centre charges. Legal representation and later enforcement can add costs. Compare these expenses with the unpaid amount and any realistic settlement proposal.

Update the balance and record any arrangement clearly. Part-payment reduces the debt; it does not mean the whole amount has been paid. Put an agreed payment plan in writing, including amounts, dates and what each payment covers.

Fictional example 2: part-payment. Assume an overdue instalment is AED 20,000 and the tenant pays AED 5,000. The remaining rent is AED 15,000: AED 20,000 minus AED 5,000. The landlord should not continue demanding the original AED 20,000 as though nothing was received.

If a notice or case already exists, tell your legal adviser about the payment or proposed extension before changing your position. Do not assume that accepting part-payment, agreeing more time or receiving payment after a deadline has the same legal effect in every case.

Keep the returned cheque and the bank's return memo. RDC has a separate cheque-enforcement service for collecting the amount of dishonoured cheques. Its requirements include the lease/Ejari, identification, bank account details, cheque copy and bank return memo.

Ask whether that route fits your cheque and circumstances. A claim to recover the cheque amount is a different request from eviction; do not assume one automatically gives you the other.

Disclose any existing case and payments already received. The same outstanding rent should not be presented as two separate debts simply because it is also recorded on a returned cheque.

No. The end of the notice period is not an eviction carried out by the landlord. If the legal conditions are met, the landlord can seek an RDC decision. Where a judgment needs enforcement, RDC provides a separate rental enforcement process.

Fictional example 3: continued non-payment. A landlord serves a formal payment notice and keeps delivery evidence. The required period expires with rent still unpaid. The landlord prepares the claim and seeks a decision, rather than arriving at the apartment to remove the tenant.

There is no guaranteed move-out or recovery date. Service problems, disputed evidence, hearings, appeals and enforcement can affect progress. Keep your payment schedule current while the case is ongoing.

No. Do not use a lockout or service disconnection to pressure an occupying tenant. Dubai's official explanation of Article 34 prohibits interference with the tenant's use of the property, including blocking entry and cutting essential services.

An unpaid-rent dispute should follow the proper claim and enforcement process. If the tenant has also failed to activate DEWA, read where a landlord can complain about DEWA activation. That is a separate account and tenancy issue.

Keep the first message factual and easy to answer. You can adapt this wording:

"Our records show that the rent instalment of AED [amount], due on [date], remains unpaid. We have received AED [amount received], leaving AED [balance] outstanding. Please arrange payment and send confirmation, or reply by [date] with any payment evidence or proposed arrangement. Please tell me if you believe the balance is incorrect."

Replace every bracket with accurate information and save the reply. This is an informal reminder, not a ready-made legal notice or a substitute for proper service.

If you would like to understand notices for other reasons, see our guide to landlord notices to move out in Dubai.

For a tenant who has not completed electricity and water activation, see our DEWA complaint guide for landlords.

If you are considering selling, our guide to selling a Dubai property with a tenant explains how an existing tenancy affects the sale. Selling and recovering unpaid rent are separate decisions.