Finance guide
When a landlord and tenant can't agree, the RDC decides. Here's what it handles, why a registered Ejari is essential, the filing fee and process, and how to come prepared.
The Rental Dispute Centre (RDC) is the Dubai Land Department's judicial body for landlord–tenant disputes — unpaid rent, eviction, deposit return, rent increases beyond the index, and maintenance. It's the official venue to settle a tenancy disagreement and its decisions are binding.
The RDC generally requires a registered Ejari tenancy contract to hear a case. Without it you have little standing — which is why registering every tenancy on Ejari matters. Bring the contract, Ejari, IDs, and evidence (payments, notices, photos).
You file at the RDC (in person or online) and pay a case-registration fee — commonly around 3.5% of the annual rent, with a minimum and maximum cap. There's a mediation/reconciliation stage first; if that fails it proceeds to a formal judgment.
Mediation → if unresolved, a hearing → a binding decision, typically within weeks for straightforward cases. Either side can appeal certain decisions within the deadline. Come prepared: the RDC decides on documents and the law, not on who argues loudest.
An unregistered tenancy undermines your standing at the RDC. Register on Ejari at the start — it's cheap and it's your protection.
Keep every payment receipt, written notice, and dated photo. The RDC decides on the paper trail and the law — build it from day one of the tenancy.
Eviction and rent-increase claims hinge on the correct 12-month / 90-day notices via the proper channel. Skip the procedure and the claim can fail regardless of merit.
Many disputes settle at the reconciliation stage. Go in willing to negotiate — it's faster and cheaper than a full judgment.