When a Dubai landlord may evict you: the law, quoted

Figures verified against official sources on 2026-09-13. Rates and fees are set by UAE authorities and can change — primary sources are linked at every figure and at the end.

This is one of the most common conflicts in Dubai's rental market — and one of the most easily settled, because the law here is unusually specific. The landlord–tenant relationship is governed by Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. The key provision is Article 25, and it is built as a closed list: what is not in it is not a ground.

Below, from the Dubai Land Department's official Tenancy Guide.

Part one: eviction BEFORE the contract expires

"The Landlord may seek eviction of the Tenant from the Real Property prior to the expiry of the term of the Tenancy only in the following cases…"

The word "only" carries the whole weight. The list:

1. Non-payment. The tenant fails to pay rent or part of it within thirty (30) days after notice from the landlord — unless the parties agreed otherwise.
2. Subletting without the landlord's written approval. Eviction then applies to both tenant and sub-tenant; the sub-tenant's right to claim compensation from the tenant is preserved.
3. Use for an illegal purpose or one that breaches public order or morals.
4. A commercial property left unoccupied without valid reason for 30 consecutive days, or 90 non-consecutive days within the same year, unless otherwise agreed.
5. Changes that render the property unsafe in a way that makes restoration impossible; wilful damage or damage through gross negligence — including damage allowed by others.
6. Use for a purpose other than the leased one, or in breach of the emirate's planning, construction and land-use regulations.
7. The property is condemned — and the landlord must prove it by a technical report issued or attested by Dubai Municipality.
8. Government requirement for demolition or reconstruction under the emirate's urban development requirements.

And the method of notice is prescribed directly:

"For the purposes of paragraph (1) of this Article, the Landlord will give Notice to the Tenant through a Notary Public or registered post."

Through a Notary Public or registered post. A message on a chat app or a conversation does not meet that form.

Part two: eviction ON EXPIRY

Here the list is shorter still — four grounds:

"Upon expiry of the Tenancy Contract the Landlord may request eviction of the Tenant from the Real Property only in any of the following cases…"

• demolition for reconstruction or new construction that would prevent the tenant from using the property, provided the required permits are obtained;
• restoration or comprehensive maintenance that cannot be carried out with the tenant in the property — the condition verified by a technical report issued or attested by Dubai Municipality;
• personal use by the owner or a first-degree relative — and the owner must prove they do not own another suitable property for that purpose;
• sale of the leased property.

Twelve months — not thirty days

This is the part worth reading to the end for:

"For the purposes of paragraph (2) of this Article, the Landlord must notify the Tenant of the eviction reasons twelve (12) months prior to the date set for eviction, provided that this notice is given through a Notary Public or registered post."

Twelve months before the date set for eviction, again through a Notary Public or registered post.

Which settles the most common situation directly: "the flat is being sold, vacate in a month" — sale is indeed on the list of grounds on expiry, but the statutory notice period is the same twelve months.

What the law says after eviction

The provision does not end when the tenant moves out:

• if possession was awarded for the owner's personal use, they may not let the property to a third party for at least two (2) years for residential property and three (3) years for non-residential — unless the Tribunal, at its discretion, sets a shorter period; otherwise the tenant may request fair compensation;
• the tenant holds a right of first refusal to rent the property after demolition and reconstruction, or renovation — to be exercised within thirty (30) days of notification.

What to do in practice

1. Check the form of the notice. Notary Public or registered post is a legal requirement, not a formality.
2. Check the period. On expiry it is 12 months. Not 30 days, not "until the contract ends".
3. Check the ground. The list is closed; "it suits me better" is not on it.
4. Demand the proof the law demands — a Dubai Municipality technical report for condemnation and major maintenance; proof of no other suitable property for personal use.
5. Disputes go to the Rental Disputes Center, not to a WhatsApp thread with an agent.

What we are deliberately NOT claiming

• We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. This article quotes and summarises a published official text; your situation may involve facts we do not know.
• We give no court timelines or filing fees — the guide quoted does not state them, and inventing them is not acceptable.
• Legislation changes. Check the version in force, and a licensed lawyer where it matters.

Sources

• Dubai Land Department — Tenancy Guide (PDF) — official text: Article 25 parts 1 and 2; form of notice; the 12-month period; Articles 26 and 29 on consequences.
• Rental Disputes Center — Dubai's rental dispute body.
• Dubai Land Department — tenancy registration (Ejari) and the transaction registry.