If you are renting a villa or apartment in Dubai, you should familiarise yourself with the RERA tenancy laws and be aware of your rights and responsibilities as a tenant in the Emirate.
Law No. (26) of 2007 – Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Renters in the Emirate of Dubai lays forth the rules for tenants and landlords. This law’s article 25 outlines seven scenarios in which a landlord may evict a tenant before the lease contract expires.
So, before you sign your lease contract, read Article 25 and its terms to see if you are subject to sudden eviction by your landlord.
Eviction Cases Article (25)
In any of the following circumstances, the Landlord may seek eviction of the Tenant from the Real Property before the Lease Contract term expires:
- If the Tenant fails to pay the rent, in whole or in part, within thirty (30) days of the Landlord’s service of a Notice to Pay on the Tenant;
- When the Tenant sublets the entire property or a portion of it without first receiving formal permission from the Landlord. The eviction will apply to the sub-tenant in this scenario, who will be entitled to compensation from the renter.
- If the renter uses or allows others to use the property for any illegal purpose or for a purpose that is contrary to public order or morality;
- Where the tenant makes a change to the Property that endangers its safety in a way that makes it impossible to restore it to its original state or damages the Real Property willfully or by gross negligence, by failing to exercise due diligence, or by permitting others to do so.
- If the tenant utilizes the property for a purpose other than that for which it was rented or otherwise violates the Emirate’s planning, construction, and land-use restrictions. There is no statutory notice period for this form of eviction, according to the Dubai Land Department (DLD), which means the tenant will not have time to vacate the leased premises or find a new apartment or villa.
- If the property is condemned [by the local authorities as hazardous and/or unfit to live in], the landlord can prove it with a technical report certified by Dubai Municipality, or
- If the tenant fails to comply with any requirement imposed on him by this Law or any of the Lease Contract terms within 30 days of the landlord serving him with a Notice to Perform such obligation or term.