In this note
When rent stops arriving, most landlords I speak to ask two things: will I win, and how long will it take?
The answers have changed a lot. I went through Rental Disputes Centre (RDC) verdicts in cases landlords brought for unpaid rent. Two things stand out:
- Landlords win almost every time. 99% of eviction cases for unpaid rent are granted. So are 98% of the claims for the rent itself.
- It has become fast. In early 2024, the median case took 61 days from filing to verdict. Since July 2026 it has taken 14.
Source: Rental Disputes Centre first-instance verdicts in non-payment eviction cases brought by landlords (Law 33/2008, Art. 25(1)(a)), by the half-year of the verdict, 1 January 2024 to 30 September 2026; the last period is July to September 2026. Filing and verdict dates were extracted from the verdicts and matched the dates read from the Arabic text in all 6,259 cases checked. Rentinit analysis. Each dot is a half-year; the lines between them are drawn straight.
Show the numbers(6 periods)
| Verdicts in | Cases | A quarter within | Median | Three quarters within | Nine in ten within |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan–Jun 2024 | 4,754 | 44 | 61 | 70 | 85 |
| Jul–Dec 2024 | 5,965 | 42 | 54 | 69 | 103 |
| Jan–Jun 2025 | 6,287 | 20 | 28 | 49 | 70 |
| Jul–Dec 2025 | 5,795 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 56 |
| Jan–Jun 2026 | 5,603 | 12 | 17 | 30 | 49 |
| Jul–Sep 2026 | 3,579 | 9 | 14 | 24 | 34 |
The clock starts with the notice, not the missed payment
Here's the step that costs landlords the most time. Before you can file for eviction, the tenant must have had 30 days to pay after a formal notice. That notice goes through a notary public or by registered mail.
A WhatsApp reminder doesn't count, and neither does a call from your agent. Every week spent chasing informally is a week added to the end. If talking hasn't worked within a few days, send the formal notice. You can keep talking while the 30 days run.
The path, step by step
Steps in order, with the time between them to scale
- TalkTalk to the tenantWhen rent is missed
- NoticeFormal noticeDay 0, by notary public or registered mail
- FileFile at the RDCDay 31, for eviction and the rent owed
- VerdictVerdictAbout day 45
- EnforceEnforcementFrom about day 61, if the tenant won't leave
Official fee
- 1. Talk to the tenant: No fee
- 2. Formal notice: No RDC feeThe notary or post office charges
- 3. File at the RDC: AED 2,8003.5% of the rent, plus about AED 120
- 4. Verdict: No fee
- 5. Enforcement: AED 8001% of the rent
Rent missed: talk to the tenant
No fee
A few days at most.
Formal notice to pay
No RDC fee
Day 0, by notary public or registered mail. The tenant has 30 days to pay.
The notary or post office charges
File at the Rental Disputes Centre
AED 2,800
From day 31, for eviction and the rent owed.
3.5% of the rent, plus about AED 120
Verdict
No fee
A median 14 days after filing in July to September 2026; 17 in January to June 2026. The tenant can appeal an eviction within 15 days.
Enforcement, if the tenant still won't leave
AED 800
Once the 15 days have passed.
1% of the rent
Official fees to a verdictabout AED 2,920
With enforcementabout AED 3,720
Fees: Rental Disputes Centre (RDC) FAQ, read on 27 October 2026; for a rent of AED 80,000 a year (filing at least AED 500 and at most AED 20,000; enforcement at most AED 5,000; fixed fees are process service, knowledge and innovation). Notice and the 30 days: Law No. 33 of 2008, Article 25(1). Days to a verdict: median of first-instance verdicts in non-payment eviction cases brought by landlords. Enforcement can be requested once the 15 days after a verdict have passed. The steps are spaced evenly; only the bars between them measure time. Rentinit analysis.
Show the numbers(6 steps)
| Step | Day | Official fee |
|---|---|---|
| Rent missed: talk to the tenantA few days at most | Before 0 | No fee |
| Formal notice to payBy notary public or registered mail; the tenant has 30 days to pay | 0 | No RDC feeThe notary or post office charges its own |
| File at the Rental Disputes CentreFor eviction and the rent owed, from day 31 | 31 | AED 2,8003.5% of the annual rent, at least AED 500, at most AED 20,000; plus about AED 120 in fixed fees |
| VerdictMedian 14 days after filing in July to September 2026; 17 in January to June 2026 | About 45 | No fee |
| The tenant can appeal an evictionWithin 15 days of the verdict | 46–60 | None to you |
| Enforcement, if the tenant still won't leaveOnce the 15 days have passed | From about 61 | AED 8001% of the annual rent, at most AED 5,000 |
| Official fees to a verdict | about AED 2,920 | |
| With enforcement | about AED 3,720 |
What each step costs, for a flat let at AED 80,000 a year:
| Step | Official fee |
|---|---|
| Filing the eviction and rent claim | AED 2,800 (3.5% of annual rent) |
| Serving the papers, plus small fixed fees | about AED 120 |
| Enforcing the eviction, if the tenant still won't leave | AED 800 (1% of annual rent) |
Set that against what's at stake. Three missed months on that flat is AED 20,000.
If you only want the money
If the tenant is staying and you only need an amount paid, the RDC also issues payment orders. A judge decides on the papers, without the full case. You need:
- The Ejari tenancy contract, with an Arabic translation.
- Written proof of a fixed amount now due. Returned cheques count.
- A notice to the tenant, by notary or registered mail, served at least five days before you file.
About four in five payment orders landlords asked for since 2025 were granted.
What can still slow you down
- An appeal. A tenant can appeal an eviction within 15 days, whatever the amount. An appeal over money alone is only possible for claims of AED 100,000 or more, and the appellant must deposit half of what was awarded.
- Missing paperwork. You'll need:
- the Ejari tenancy contract
- proof that you own the property or are authorised to act
- the notice and proof it was served
- the cheques or a statement showing what's unpaid
Upload everything before the hearing. The RDC doesn't accept documents at the judgment session.
How Hazel helps
I keep track of the rent you've recorded against each unit, so a missed payment shows up early. When it's time, I:
- Draft the formal notice, with the amount, the period and the 30-day deadline.
- List the documents the RDC will ask for.
- Find how similar cases have been decided.
You or your lawyer file the case. I make sure the file is complete when you do.
For the first conversation with a tenant who's fallen behind, see my guide to a tenant not paying rent. For every notice deadline in one place, see Dubai landlord deadlines.
Add your property, and I'll reach out on WhatsApp. I'll track the rent against it, and if a payment is missed, I'll draft the notice and set out your next step.
Sources, and how Hazel checked them
- Fees, appeals, payment orders and enforcement: RDC frequently asked questions, read on 27 October 2026.
- Notice and the 30 days: Law No. 33 of 2008, Article 25(1).
- Case data: RDC first-instance verdicts in non-payment eviction cases brought by landlords, January 2024 to September 2026 (about 32,000 cases).
- Filing and verdict dates were checked against the published Arabic verdicts.
- Outcomes and claims were extracted from the same verdicts.
- Rent claims: the claims for rent owed inside those cases, January 2025 to September 2026 (about 38,000 claims).
General information about Dubai residential tenancies, not legal advice. For a specific dispute, speak to a lawyer.