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Eviction, tenancy renewal: Dubai judge reveals top tenant-landlord disputes
He says that tailoring contracts and writing them in a very precise terms and conditions would help a lot in resolving the disputes
Eviction for non-payment, rent renewal issues, and compensation claims are the most common disputes between tenants and landlords in Dubai, according to a senior official.
“We receive all kinds of complaints. Most of the common cases are the eviction for non-payment, others are related to rent renewals and compensation claims for wrongful evictions,” Dr Yousef Al Mansoori, Senior First Instance Judge, Rental Dispute Centre (RDC), Dubai, told Khaleej Times in an interview.
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Al Mansoori said that ambiguity in the contractual relationship is the most common reason for disputes, as some terms would be interpreted in different ways.
“If the tenant and landlord have established a clear relationship between themselves, it would reduce the number of disputes. So, there is a need for more clarity in this context between tenants and landlords,” he said.
Responsibility of both tenant, landlord
The Senior First Instance Judge of the RDC suggested that tailoring contracts and writing them in very precise terms and conditions would help a lot in resolving the disputes.
“You have to have a very detailed contractual relationship in any transaction. If you have written down all the terms of conditions, payment details, and renewal scenarios, (you can) avoid conflicts.”
He emphasised that documenting everything in transactions, for example, in case of payments, keeping a receipt; if the landlord sent a notice, keep evidence of what he is claiming.
Al Mansoori recommended that both the tenant and landlord should seek legal opinion, as it is the responsibility of both parties to avoid disputes.
Anyone can attend hearing
The Senior First Instance Judge noted that the centre conducts public hearing, and everyone is allowed to attend, even if he/she is not a party in the claim.
“You can attend, but the judge will not listen to anyone else, except only the parties involved in the dispute. This is a standard procedure in the judiciary in general, and I assure you that here in RDC, we are following that norm. We do not see whether he or she is a local or a foreigner. Everyone is equal in front of the law,” he emphasised.
According to the Dubai Rental Dispute Centre, residents can file claims online or in person. However, most complaints come from RDC’s digital platform.
“The hearing is conducted online to make it easier for people who are busy with their work and life, and we cannot expect them to come physically, to attend the hearing and waste office days.”
More judges
To enhance the ability of RDC to render more timely verdicts, 15 new judges were added recently, taking the total to more than 50.
According to the Dubai Rental Disputes Centre, the average rental dispute settlement period was just six days during the second quarter of 2025.
“This is a very reasonable target. However, it varies from case to case, depending on the complexity level of the case. With the new judges coming in, the rental dispute settlement period would gradually decrease. We are committed to reducing the number of days. I assure you that we will render a timely verdict. So whenever the case is ready to render a verdict, we will not delay it for any other reason.”
Importantly, he highlighted that there are cases that are resolved in just one day.
AI judge
UAE and Dubai entities are passionately embracing new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The Rental Dispute Centre is also keeping pace and adopting AI, conducting training of all judges for new technologies.
“We have conducted very intensive training for all judges on AI to grasp the concept. Additionally, we have experimented by rendering verdict through the AI, but this is still under process because it requires legislative adjustment or modification. We don’t want to lag behind any technology, and generative AI is a very promising technology. The UAE is investing so much in this technology; we are trying to be apart of that,” Al Mansoori concluded.
Waheed Abbas
Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.
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