When a Dubai tenant stops paying rent, what to do and in what order.
Your tenant is behind, or a cheque has just come back. Before you do anything else you serve notice and wait 30 days. After that comes the Rental Dispute Centre, and we cover the fee there and how long it all tends to take.
Updated
Start with a formal notice to pay. The tenant gets 30 days. Still nothing? Then you file at the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre, which costs 3.5% of the annual rent (at least AED 500, at most AED 20,000). A judgment usually comes 30 to 60 days later and enforcing it takes another 30 to 90. Whatever happens along the way, leave the locks alone, because changing them is unlawful.
In short
Serve the 30-day notice before anything else. The Rental Dispute Centre won't take your case until those 30 days have passed.
Filing is 3.5% of the annual rent, somewhere from AED 500 up to AED 20,000. Expect 30 to 60 days to a judgment on a simple case and 30 to 90 more to enforce it.
Everything goes to the Centre in Arabic. If a document is only in English, get a legalised translation, or the file comes back.
Swapping the locks or cutting off DEWA is unlawful. Do it and the tenant gets a counterclaim, however clear the debt.
The notice to pay
The clock doesn’t start until the tenant has formal notice that the rent is late. Then it runs for 30 days, and the Centre will not hear you before it stops. Spend a month on WhatsApp first and you have just made the whole thing a month longer.
The notice has to be written. Quote the contract, say which period is unpaid and how much, and keep proof it was sent and received. A string of ignored “where is the rent?” texts does not count. Quite a few tenants do pay up before the 30 days are out.
What the file needs
The Centre goes on paper, so get yours together first.
| Document | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Tenancy contract | The terms and the rent |
| Ejari registration | The tenancy is on the official record |
| The notice you served, with proof | The 30 days have run |
| Record of payments | What has been paid, and when |
| Returned cheque and bank memo | The default, where a cheque bounced |
| Bank statement for those dates | The default, where a transfer failed or never arrived |
The core file the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre expects to see. Every document has to be in Arabic or carry a legalised Arabic translation.
Overseas owners often trip on the Arabic rule. Send the file in English only and it will be turned away, and rushing a translation after that costs more than ordering it in advance.
Filing, and what follows
You file online on the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre portal and upload your evidence as you go. It costs 3.5% of the annual rent, with AED 500 as the floor and AED 20,000 as the ceiling. For a flat let at AED 120,000, you’d pay AED 4,200.
| Stage | What happens | How long | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice to pay | Served in writing | 30 days | Notary or post |
| Filing | Filed on the RDC portal | Same day | 3.5% of rent |
| Judgment | The Centre rules | 30 to 60 days | In the fee |
| Execution | The order is enforced | 30 to 90 days | Separate step |
Timings are typical rather than guaranteed and depend on the Centre's list and on how complete the file is. Filing fee is 3.5% of annual rent, minimum AED 500 and maximum AED 20,000. Position current at September 2026.
Winning isn’t the end of it. The ruling then has to be enforced, which runs on its own timetable, and once you add the 30 days of notice at the start, something you began in September can easily spill into the new year.
What you must not do
However angry you are, don’t change the locks. Cutting the DEWA or moving the tenant’s belongings out is just as unlawful. Even with arrears nobody disputes, each of those gives the tenant a counterclaim and you a bill for damages. Yes, the formal route is slower. It’s also the one where you end up with your money and your flat.
Before the next tenancy
Register the tenancy on Ejari.
It costs little and the Centre will ask for it. Skip it and your file is missing a piece from day one.
Keep the payment record as you go.
Note each cheque date or transfer reference when it lands, and whether it cleared. If you leave it until the tenant defaults, you'll be rebuilding a year of bank statements in a hurry. Doing it as you go takes minutes.
Serve the notice on the day the rent is due.
The 30 days don't start until the notice is out. A week of friendly chasing is a week tacked on at the end. So send the formal notice first, and have the friendly chat after.
Work out whether the arrears are worth pursuing.
Add up what the fight costs: the filing fee, the translations, and months when you can't let the flat to anyone else. If the balance is small and the tenant is on the way out, a settlement and a quick re-let may leave you better off than a win.
This is general information as of September 2026 and not legal advice. The Rental Disputes Settlement Centre sets its own procedure, fees and timings, and they can change, so get advice on your own case before you serve notice or file.
Questions
What do I do first if my tenant stops paying rent in Dubai?
How much does it cost to file a rental case in Dubai?
Can I change the locks if my tenant has not paid?
Does a bounced cheque help my case?
How long does it take to remove a tenant for non-payment in Dubai?
Can I file at the RDC without an Ejari registration?
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