Leasing

Tenancy Law (Law 26 of 2007)

Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, governs every Dubai lease a broker handles: what the lease must say, renewal and notice, who repairs what, and the closed lists of eviction grounds. The exam tests the amended text, so the 2007 rules make the best distractors.

Leasing6 min read8 sections

Must-know for the exam

Changing terms or rent at renewal needs at least 90 days' notice before expiry, unless the lease agrees otherwise (Art. 14 as amended; in force 12 Oct 2026).
Eviction on expiry: only four grounds (rebuild, comprehensive maintenance, owner or first-degree relative's use, sale), with 12 months' notice by notary public or registered post (Art. 25(2)).
Eviction during the term: non-payment or any breach after a 30-day notice, served by notary public or registered post (Art. 25(1) as amended).
Commercial premises left unoccupied without valid reason for 30 consecutive or 90 non-consecutive days in a year is a ground during the term (Art. 25(1)).
Unauthorised sub-letting: both tenant and sub-tenant are evicted; the sub-tenant may claim compensation from the tenant (Art. 25(1) as amended).
After recovery for personal use, no re-letting for two years (residential) or three years (non-residential) unless the RDC sets less (Art. 26 as amended).
Holdover without objection renews the lease for the same term or one year, whichever is shorter, on the same terms (Art. 6).
No agreed payment dates: annual rent is paid in four equal instalments in advance (Art. 12).
A sale does not end a fixed-term lease, and death of either party does not end a lease; the tenant's heirs may exit on 30 days' notice (Arts. 27-28).
All leases and any amendments must be registered (Art. 4(2)); the DLD took this over from RERA under Law No. 4 of 2019, Art. 10(b), through Ejari.

On this page · 8 sections

Traps that cost marks

Using the pre-2008 90-day period, or forgetting that the owner must show he has no other suitable property.
Dividing the gap by the current rent instead of the index average, which pushes the unit into a higher band.
Treating a bounced cheque as an immediate eviction ground without the 30-day notice period.
Assuming a change of owner lets the buyer terminate the existing lease early.
Thinking leases of bare or agricultural land fall outside the Tenancy Law.
Assuming monthly or single-cheque payment applies by default.
Looking only at the 30-consecutive-day test and missing the 90 non-consecutive days alternative.
Applying the original 2007 rule that only the sub-tenant was evicted.

Why it matters on the exam

Leasing is where most new brokers start, and the exam expects you to advise landlords and tenants on the law, not market habit. Questions are usually short scenarios: a notice period, an eviction ground, a holdover, a sale with a tenant in place.

•Law No. 33 of 2008 replaced Articles 2, 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15, 25, 26, 29 and 36. Always answer from the amended text.
•The old figures (90 days' eviction notice, one-year re-letting bar, two-year rent freeze) appear as distractors.
•The Tribunal in the law is now the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (Decree No. 26 of 2013, Art. 4).

The lease: scope, contents, term and registration

The law covers land and real property leased in Dubai; the only exclusion is property provided rent-free by an employer to house its employees (Art. 3 as amended). Leased vacant or agricultural land is covered.

•Contents (Art. 4(1) as amended): property description, purpose, term, rent and payment method, and the owner's name if the landlord is not the owner.
•Registration (Art. 4(2) as amended): all leases and any amendments are registered; the Dubai Land Department performs this (Law No. 4 of 2019, Art. 10(b)).
•No term stated or provable: the lease runs for the rent payment period (Art. 5).
•Holdover without objection: renewed for the same term or one year, whichever is shorter (Art. 6).
•No unilateral termination during the term (Art. 7); a sub-lease ends with the main lease unless the landlord expressly extends it (Art. 8).
•Landlord includes a new owner, the owner's agent and a tenant permitted to sub-let (Art. 2).

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Frequently asked questions

How much notice must a Dubai landlord give to change the rent?

At least 90 days before the lease expires, under Article 14 of Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, checked 12 Oct 2026.

How much notice does a Dubai landlord need to evict on expiry?

12 months before the eviction date, by notary public or registered post, for one of the reasons in Article 25(2): sale, own use, demolition or major repair. Source: Law No. 33 of 2008, checked 12 Oct 2026.

Exam-style questions

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