Dubai tenancy law sets clear rules on how a lease may or may not end at its term date. A landlord who does not wish to renew must follow a specific notice procedure, with a fixed minimum period, or the tenancy continues by operation of law. For residents renting in Dubai, and for investors who let their properties and want to understand what their tenants are entitled to, this guide covers the notice rules, the RERA rental index at renewal and where disputes are decided.
How a Dubai lease renews by default
A tenancy contract in Dubai does not expire simply because its end date arrives. Under Law No. 26 of 2007 on Regulating Relationships between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 6, if neither party gives proper notice before the end of the term, the contract is automatically renewed for the same period or for one year, whichever is shorter, on the same terms and conditions.
A one-year lease that reaches its end date without formal notice from either side becomes a new one-year lease at the same rent. The tenant's position is secure: no action is needed on their side to keep their home. The landlord who does nothing also binds themselves to the renewed tenancy, with the only permitted change being any rent adjustment that falls within the RERA rental index limits.
The notice a landlord must give
A landlord who wishes to end a tenancy at its term and not renew must notify the tenant in writing through a notary public at least twelve months before the end of the contract. This requirement is set out in Law No. 33 of 2008 Amending Law No. 26 of 2007, Article 25.
Notice served by other means, for instance by email or message, does not satisfy the notarisation requirement. A notice that arrives less than twelve months before the end of the term is not valid for that term: it takes effect for the following renewal period at the earliest. Until valid, properly-timed notary notice is served and its twelve-month period has elapsed, the tenant's right to remain on the existing terms continues.
Grounds on which a landlord may recover the property
The law limits the grounds on which a landlord may serve a valid non-renewal notice. Under Article 25 of Law No. 33 of 2008, the permitted grounds are: the landlord, or a first-degree relative, intends to occupy the property personally; the property is to be demolished or comprehensively renovated in a way that requires it to be vacant; or the property needs major structural repairs that cannot be carried out while the tenant is in occupation.
Where a landlord serves notice on the ground of personal or family use and then lets the property to a new tenant within two years, the original tenant is entitled to seek compensation through the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre.
A desire to increase the rent beyond the RERA index limit is not a ground for non-renewal: rent adjustment at renewal is governed by the RERA rental index, not by notice to quit.
The RERA rental index and permitted rent increases
At renewal, a landlord may seek to adjust the rent, but only within the limits the RERA rental index calculator sets. The calculator compares the existing rent with the market average for similar properties in the same building or community and determines the maximum permitted increase.
Where the existing rent is not more than 10 per cent below the market average, no increase is permitted. Where it is 11 to 25 per cent below, the maximum increase is 5 per cent. Between 26 and 35 per cent below, the maximum is 10 per cent. Between 36 and 40 per cent below, the maximum is 15 per cent. Where the existing rent is more than 40 per cent below the market average, the maximum increase is 20 per cent. These limits apply per renewal; a landlord cannot carry forward an unused increase (RERA Decree No. 43 of 2013, as applied by the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre).
The RERA rental index calculator is publicly available through the Dubai REST app. A tenant who wants to check where their current rent sits relative to the market can do so before any renewal discussion.
Filing a dispute at the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre
The Rental Dispute Settlement Centre (RDSC) is the body established by Dubai Courts to hear disputes between landlords and tenants. It handles applications from both sides: claims for unpaid rent, challenges to the validity of a notice, disputes over eviction orders and disagreements about rent increases that exceed the RERA index limit.
A tenant who receives a non-renewal notice that does not meet the legal requirements, or who is being pressured to leave without proper process, may file a case at the RDSC. Applications can be made in person at the Dubai Courts building in Umm Hurair or through the Dubai Courts digital services portal (Dubai Courts, Rental Dispute Settlement Centre, accessed October 2026).
The RDSC's process is designed to be accessible and relatively prompt. Its decisions are binding. A tenant with a valid Ejari-registered tenancy contract is in a strong procedural position from the outset: Ejari registration is the starting point for any application.
Sources Law No. 26 of 2007 on Regulating Relationships between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai, Dubai Legislation Portal · Law No. 33 of 2008 Amending Law No. 26 of 2007, Dubai Legislation Portal · RERA Decree No. 43 of 2013 (rental index and permitted increase limits) · Dubai Courts, Rental Dispute Settlement Centre, https://www.dc.gov.ae/en/services/rental-disputes (accessed October 2026).