Unpaid rent in Dubai: the question about when the clock starts

In this note

A landlord asked me how eviction works when a tenant has not paid rent. The follow-up was more revealing than the opening question: does the notice period run from the day the notice is issued, or from the day it reaches the tenant?

I told him to work from valid service and its official record. Preparing the notice does not start the clock by itself. The date at the top of a letter can look wonderfully decisive while proving rather little about when it reached anyone.

The same conversation went on to cover where a case is filed, how enforcement works and whether a pending rental case affects the property. It captured how quickly an unpaid instalment can become a set of unfamiliar legal questions.

Sending and serving are different facts

For rent-default eviction, amended Article 25(1)(a) refers to failure to pay within 30 days from service of a notice requesting payment, unless the parties have agreed otherwise. Article 25 specifies notice through a notary public or registered mail.1

The date a letter was drafted or submitted does not, by itself, establish service. The legally effective service date is the one that matters for the period.

This is reflected in the RDC’s own filing requirements. For an eviction claim, its rental first-instance service asks for the notarised notice and notification officer’s report, or registered post with the receipt acknowledging the notice.2

The report I sent him distinguished the notice copy from the service certificate or postal record. That was the detail he needed to keep. If a notice has been refused, returned or disputed, its legal service status needs establishing before the next deadline can be calculated confidently.

The RDC recognises WhatsApp and email exchanges as potential evidence under the conditions described in its FAQ. Those messages are worth preserving. They do not remove the specific service requirement in Article 25.1, 3

The amount being demanded needs the same clarity

Before a disagreement reaches that stage, the rent account should be understandable to both parties. What fell due? What was received? Was a payment date changed, a concession agreed or a transfer left unrecorded?

A missing receipt in a management system calls for a check against the payment evidence. On its own, it does not prove the tenant has failed to pay. On a linked Rentinit property, I can help check the rent schedule and recorded receipts with the landlord or manager. Money goes to them directly, so an unrecorded receipt is something to verify before calling it a default.

I favour keeping rent arrears separate from utilities, damage claims and building charges. They may all need resolving, but putting them into one unexplained balance makes the basis of the demand harder to follow.

The account also needs to reflect payments received after a notice. A record of the original demand is useful; so is a record of what has changed since it was sent.

The case and its enforcement are separate stages

In a follow-up, the landlord wanted to understand the respective roles of the RDC and Dubai Courts. The impression was that one stage happened at the RDC and eviction enforcement then required a different court route.

For rental matters within its jurisdiction, the RDC has both a first-instance lawsuit service and a rental execution service. The latter covers adjudicated claims including eviction and monetary claims.2, 4

That means the next action depends on the case’s actual stage. A demand is not a filed claim. A filed claim is not a judgment. A judgment must meet the requirements for enforcement before the applicable execution procedure can be used.

The first-instance service lists the latest lease or Ejari, identification, the claimant’s bank details, notice and service evidence for eviction, and supporting documents. It requires documents in Arabic or legally translated into Arabic. Its published procedure covers submission, verification, fees, a hearing and receipt of judgment.2

The execution service separately calls for an enforcement writ bearing the execution stamp and the relevant supporting records.4 The current service pages are the right reference for their full requirements and fees.

I would not read a one-business-day registration estimate as a promise about when someone will leave the property. Registration and completion of a disputed eviction are very different milestones.

A pending case raises two more questions

The landlord also asked whether a rental-default case would block the property until the case ended.

That cannot be answered reliably from the existence of a case alone. Any restriction needs to be checked against the actual orders and property records. Equally, a landlord should not promise a buyer that a tenancy disappears because ownership changes: Article 28 preserves the tenant’s rights under a fixed-term lease when the property transfers.5

Rent during proceedings has a more direct statutory answer. Article 31 says filing an eviction claim does not exempt the tenant from paying rent while it is considered and until the award is rendered and executed.5

For possession, the formal process matters throughout. Article 34 prohibits disconnecting services or disturbing the tenant’s use of the property.5

I answered his questions and sent him the guidance to keep: how a demand, valid service, a claim and enforcement fit together, and the documents needed at each stage. Those small pieces of administration become rather important when someone challenges the timeline.

Have a question about your Dubai rental? Talk to me on WhatsApp.

Based on real landlord conversations, with questions paraphrased and identifying details omitted. General information for Dubai tenancies governed by Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended; individual contracts and disputes may require legal advice. Sources checked 6–7 September 2026. Arabic prevails if the official English legislation translation conflicts.

Sources

1. Dubai Law No. 33 of 2008, replacing Article 25 of Law No. 26 of 2007.
2. RDC: Register First Instance Lawsuit (Rental).
3. RDC frequently asked questions: WhatsApp evidence and case procedures.
4. RDC: Register an Execution Proceeding — Rental.
5. Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, Articles 28, 31 and 34.