Law No. 33 of 2008 Concerning the Relationship Between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai regulates the tenancy relationship in Dubai. The Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC), established by Decree No. 26 of 2013, hears cases involving disagreements between tenants and landlords and tries to reach a mutually agreeable resolution or a binding judgment in favor of one party or the other.
The Rental Dispute Settlement Center in Dubai follows these procedures
The Rental Dispute Resolution Service Center (RDSC) was established to facilitate the resolution of tenant issues.
RDSC has five divisions, each having its unique mandate and tasks.
- The Central Support Division
- Conciliation Division
- First Instance Division
- Appeal Division
- Execution Division
Except for disputes involving financing leasing contracts (Ijara) and long-term lease arrangements, the RDSC has jurisdiction over all tenancy disputes in the Emirate of Dubai. It also applies to tenancy disputes within free zones, unless those zones, like the Dubai International Financial Centre, have their own unique judicial committees or courts.
If a rent disagreement arises between a landlord and tenant, and the two parties are unable to settle the situation amicably, either party may bring the matter before the Rent disagreement Settlement Committee. The Arbitration Department will step in and try to mediate the disagreement so that it can be resolved quickly and peacefully (within 15 days). at the event that the parties are unable to resolve the dispute through negotiation, litigation might be filed at the Court of First Instance.
When conflicts are resolved amicably, the parties sign a “reconciliation agreement.” Only if the amount in dispute is more than AED 100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Dirhams) can an appeal be filed. Nonetheless, parties may submit an appeal in accordance with Article 17[1] of Law No. 26 of 2013. Judgments of eviction, failure to comply with jurisdictional requirements, requests that go beyond what the parties requested, disregarding some of the parties’ requests, improper representation or improper service of notice, discovery of forged documents or false testimony after the judgment, and withholding of data or documents by a party during First Instance proceedings are all examples of such situations.
A ruling from the First Instance Department is final and cannot be appealed unless one of the exceptions above applies. Within 15 days of the ruling, the parties may appeal to the Appellate Division if the claim amount is more than AED 100,000. However, the Appellate Division’s ruling is final and cannot be appealed. The Enforcement Division will subsequently take the necessary steps to enforce the verdict.
Request a Free Consultation
