Received an eviction notice? You may still have options. Speak to a lawyer before you sign, pay or move out.
Received or serving an eviction notice? We check whether it gives the required period, in the required form and on a lawful ground, and act for you at the Rental Disputes Center (RDC).
Tell us what is happening in your own words. We will explain where you stand and what the sensible next step is.
If you need an eviction lawyer in Dubai, the first step is to be clear about which side of the eviction you are on, because the law, the deadlines and the next step all change. MBM acts for landlords who need to serve a valid notice and recover possession, and for tenants who have received a notice and want to know whether it can be enforced. We act in separate matters and never on both sides of the same one. We have offices in Dubai Media City and in Al Khalidiya, Sharjah, so if you searched for an “eviction lawyer near me Dubai”, you can meet us at either office or start by phone or WhatsApp. Whichever side you are on, the notice and the contract come first, so start with those.
Your first consultation is free and confidential. You do not have to work this out alone. Send us the notice, or describe what has happened, and we tell you where you stand on the facts, not on a template. We take the legal work off your shoulders, and you will always know where your matter stands.
Whether you are selling, moving in, renovating or dealing with a tenant who has stopped paying, the ground you rely on decides the notice you must give, and getting it wrong can cost you a year. First we check: the ground, the contract and the payment record. See landlord lawyer Dubai · Talk to us about serving a notice
A notice that is short, not notarised, served the wrong way or based on a ground the landlord cannot make out may not be enforceable. That is a question of fact and law, and worth asking before you move. First we check: the period, the ground, the form and the service. See tenant lawyer Dubai · Talk to us about a notice you received
Received or about to serve an eviction notice? Send it to us and ask whether it holds up. Your first consultation is free.
The notice decides most Dubai eviction matters, so our review starts with the notice itself, and four things are examined together: the period given, the ground relied on, the form of the notice and how it was served. The landlord–tenant relationship is governed by Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. Where a landlord seeks to evict on the grounds set out in Article 25, namely sale of the property, the landlord’s own use or major renovation, the notice required is 12 months, and it must be notarised or sent by registered mail.
These eviction notice requirements Dubai landlords and tenants face are set out in the table below.
| Ground or situation | Notice period | How served | When it can be challenged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale of the property (Article 25) | 12 months | Notarised or sent by registered mail | If the period is short, the form is wrong or the sale ground cannot be made out. If the property is then re-let rather than sold, the tenant’s position may be different |
| The landlord’s own use (Article 25) | 12 months | Notarised or sent by registered mail | If the period is short, the form is wrong or the own-use ground cannot be made out. If the property is then re-let rather than occupied, the tenant’s position may be different |
| Major renovation (Article 25) | 12 months | Notarised or sent by registered mail | If the period is short, the form is wrong or the renovation ground is not supported by what actually happens |
| Non-payment of rent | A shorter route. A cure period of around 30 days is commonly cited in professional commentary before further steps. It comes from commentary, not from the statute | Confirmed on the facts of your matter | If the arrears claimed or the steps taken do not match the contract and the payment record |
| A notice sent by email, messaging app or by hand | Depends on the ground | The statute contemplates notarisation or registered mail | A notice sent by WhatsApp or email may not meet the required form for Article 25 grounds. Whether yours fails is fact-sensitive, so it is assessed on your documents rather than assumed |
Legal publishers also report that a landlord may evict where the owner or a first-degree relative needs the unit, or for demolition or reconstruction. As reported by legal publishers, after an eviction for the landlord’s own use or for sale, the landlord may be restricted from re-letting the unit to someone else for 2 years (residential) or 3 years (non-residential).
Notice periods, the validity of service and whether a stated ground can actually be made out are all fact-sensitive and subject to applicable UAE law. Requirements change, so we confirm the current position at your first consultation. This page describes the general framework. It is not advice on your tenancy.
The 12 months is the period given to the tenant before the tenancy ends on an Article 25 ground. It has to run in full and be given in the right form, and the clock cannot be restarted by a later message. People often search “eviction notice period Dubai lawyer” or “landlord did not give 12 months’ notice lawyer”. The answer starts with the dates: we check whether a short notice fails for that reason alone, or for others as well.
Searches for a “notarized eviction notice lawyer Dubai” usually come down to one question: was the notice given in the right form? We read the notice the way a tribunal will, and look at five things first:
Whether you are serving a notice or have received one, we start by reading it against the contract. Then we:
These are the eviction matters that most often reach us. If yours is not listed, it is still worth a call, because the framework is the same even when the facts are unusual.
Where a landlord relies on an Article 25 ground but has given a shorter period, the notice’s enforceability is open to challenge. First we check: the period, the ground and the service together. Talk to us about a short notice
The statute contemplates notarisation or registered mail. Where service took another form, that is the first point we examine. First we check: how and when the notice reached you, and any proof of delivery. Talk to us about a notice by message
Where a landlord serves notice to sell or occupy and then re-lets the property instead, the position may be different. First we check: what was said in the notice and what has happened to the unit since. Talk to us about a false ground
The tenancy has ended, notice was given and the tenant has stayed. We move to enforce possession through the Rental Disputes Center, not through confrontation. First we check: the notice, its service and the end date of the tenancy. Talk to us about a holdover tenant
Non-payment runs on a faster track than the Article 25 grounds. A bounced cheque may also open a separate recovery route, see debt recovery. First we check: the arrears, the demand made and the cheque record. Talk to us about unpaid rent
Most failed evictions fail at the notice stage, a year earlier. We draft the notice, arrange notarisation and document service properly the first time. First we check: the ground, the dates and the contract. Talk to us about serving a notice
If proceedings have started, the timetable is no longer yours to set. We take over the file, prepare the case and appear. First we check: the case number, the hearing date and what has been filed. Talk to us about a case at the RDC
Shop, office and warehouse evictions carry different commercial consequences and often a different contract. First we check: the lease terms on use, termination and notice. See commercial tenancy · Talk to us about a commercial eviction
Being shut out of the property or having services disconnected is a separate issue from the eviction itself. First we check: what happened, when, and who did it. Tell us about a lock-out
Sale of the property is one of the three Article 25 grounds, so eviction on that basis may be available, but the 12-month notarised or registered-mail notice requirement applies. For a landlord, we make sure the notice is correct at the outset. For a tenant, we check whether the property is in fact being sold.
The landlord’s own use is also an Article 25 ground, with the same 12-month notarised or registered-mail requirement. We look at whether the ground can be made out and whether the notice was properly given. Where notice is given on this ground and the property is then re-let rather than occupied, the tenant’s position may be different. Personal use is reported generally to require that the owner has no other suitable property. As reported by legal publishers, after an eviction for the landlord’s own use or for sale, the landlord may be restricted from re-letting the unit to someone else for 2 years (residential) or 3 years (non-residential).
Major renovation is the third Article 25 ground. It carries the same notice period and form, and the question for both sides is whether the work described is the work that actually follows. We assess the period, the ground and the service together.
Wrongful eviction can mean a notice that is invalid, a ground that proves false, or a lock-out or disconnection carried out by the landlord. Our first job is to establish what happened and what can be shown. Wrongful eviction, a lock-out or a ground that proves false may give rise to a claim, depending on the facts and the applicable law.
To challenge an eviction notice in Dubai, start by having the notice reviewed before you respond, sign anything or move out. If there are grounds to dispute it, your position is put formally on record and, if necessary, argued before the Rental Disputes Center. The steps below are a map, not a promise about the result.
Keep the original. Silence can weaken your position later, and anything you sign may be read as acceptance.
Notarised, registered mail, courier, email, message or by hand. Keep envelopes, courier records and screenshots.
Period, ground, form and service are separate requirements, and a failure on any of them may affect enforceability. We tell you which points are arguable.
Your position goes on record properly. This matters for the immediate dispute and for how the file reads if it reaches the tribunal.
If the landlord files, we prepare and argue the defence, including where the stated ground is not borne out by what the landlord has actually done.
Sometimes the right outcome is leaving later, with costs covered or with a settlement. That is a negotiation, and it is stronger once the notice has been tested.
An eviction defence lawyer begins with whether the notice can require you to leave, not with when you must go. We:
For a tenant’s wider rights, including deposits and repairs, see tenant lawyer Dubai.
For a landlord, an eviction lawyer in Dubai takes the process in the order it usually happens, and turns each step into something that can be proved later. These are concrete actions, not a promise to handle it.
Sale, personal use, major renovation and non-payment are different routes with different notice requirements. We identify which applies before anything is served, because the ground fixes the timetable.
We prepare the notice to the required form, arrange notarisation or registered-mail service, and keep the evidence of service that the tribunal will later want to see.
Where rent is outstanding, possession and money are separate claims. We pursue arrears alongside the eviction rather than treating them as one.
We prepare the file, make the submissions and appear at the Rental Disputes Center. Where a mediated outcome is realistic, we say so, because it is usually faster than a hearing.
A judgment is not the same as vacant possession. We take the enforcement steps needed to give effect to it.
For our wider work for owners, see landlord lawyer Dubai, and for the route step by step, see how to evict a tenant in Dubai.
Eviction disputes between landlords and tenants in Dubai are heard by the Rental Disputes Center. Where a landlord seeks an order for possession, or a tenant disputes a notice, this is the work people mean when they search for an “eviction proceedings lawyer Dubai”: we prepare the file, make the submissions and appear at the Center, and then deal with enforcement. As at September 2026 the Rental Disputes Center remains a distinct tribunal and has not been merged into Dubai Courts. The Center’s own website, rdc.gov.ae, publishes its current guidance, forms and fees. MBM is a law firm and is not part of the Center.
If you are a tenant who stays on after a notice, the landlord’s route is to file at the Rental Disputes Center and seek an order, then enforce it. Staying on is not itself a defence, but it also does not mean the notice was valid. Being locked out or having utilities disconnected is a separate matter and should be raised immediately. As reported, rent continues to fall due until the eviction order is executed, and filing a case does not by itself stop an eviction.
See rental dispute lawyer Dubai for how a Rental Disputes Center case works from filing to enforcement.
Once a case is before the Rental Disputes Center, current legal publishers report typical timelines of roughly 30 to 60 days, with simpler mediated matters resolving faster. Enforcement of a judgment can add further time.
That is separate from the notice period itself. On an Article 25 ground, the 12 months runs before any filing, so the full timeline from notice to possession is considerably longer. For non-payment, the route is shorter, with a cure period of around 30 days commonly cited before further steps. The 30-day and 30 to 60-day figures come from professional commentary rather than the statute and should be confirmed on your facts.
A lawyer cannot shorten a notice period that the law requires to run, but can make sure that no time is lost at the stages that are in your control. What genuinely saves time is having the notice read early, so call with the notice and the contract.
You will know the likely route before you instruct us, and what each stage involves.
Your first consultation is free and confidential. Call, WhatsApp or send the form. We take the key facts, the notice, the dates and the contract, and tell you whether there is something to work with.
We read the tenancy contract, the Ejari registration, the notice and the payment record, then set out your position and the realistic options in writing.
Before paid work starts you get a written scope and fee position, so you know what is covered.
We serve a compliant notice, or formally respond to one. Many matters settle here, before any filing fee is spent.
Where the matter proceeds, we file or defend at the Rental Disputes Center and appear on your behalf.
We advise on the outcome and take enforcement steps if needed, so that the result becomes possession or payment.
You do not need any of this to call us, but having it ready lets us give you a view rather than a guess. If a deadline is running or a hearing is listed, call rather than gathering documents first. We can work backwards from the date.
Eviction matters are decided on documents and deadlines, so most mistakes are made early.
Your first consultation with MBM is free and confidential. The cost of an eviction lawyer in Dubai depends on the stage and the route. Drafting and serving a notice is a smaller piece of work than preparing and arguing a contested case with enforcement.
If you decide to go further, we give you a scope and a fee position in writing first, so you can decide whether the matter is worth pursuing. Rental Disputes Center fees, translation costs and notarisation costs are separate from legal fees, and we explain which are likely to apply. A notarised notice is reported to cost AED 210 in person or AED 110 digitally, and requirements change, so we confirm the current position at your first consultation. We do not publish a price list, because every eviction is different. Ask at your first consultation and we will answer directly.
Eviction notice served or about to be served? Talk to us before the notice is sent or answered. Your first consultation is free and confidential.
Eviction matters are decided on documents and deadlines. What makes the difference is a team that reads the file the way a tribunal will and is comfortable arguing it if the matter does not settle.
Rated 4.9 on Google reviews. MBM is founder-led, by Mohamed Badr, Founder & Managing Partner, who has 17 years of legal experience. For an eviction that means one team from the notice to enforcement, litigation and arbitration handled together, and a written scope and fee before paid work starts. MBM works with group companies in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf, which helps when a matter has an international side. That is useful when a landlord is based abroad, or a tenant has to deal with a notice from outside the UAE.
Because we run landlord and tenant matters, we know how the other side’s case is usually built and where it tends to be weak.
If a notice is sound and the ground is made out, we will tell you early rather than bill a case that cannot succeed. The outcome of an eviction matter cannot be guaranteed by anyone.
Dubai and Sharjah, and Sharjah tenancies run under their own distinct rules, not Dubai’s. If your property is in Sharjah, tell us at the first consultation.
Your free first consultation is with a member of MBM’s legal team in Dubai or Sharjah. Eviction matters are handled in confidence from the first call.
Founder & Managing Partner
Mohamed Badr leads MBM and has 17 years of legal experience. His career has included roles at law firms and multinational corporations in the UAE, advising businesses on high-stakes disputes, corporate restructuring and commercial litigation.
Names and titles as published on mbm-co.com. Your first consultation is with a member of MBM’s legal team in Dubai or Sharjah.
General information on the current framework. It is not advice on your tenancy. Positions and procedures can change, and how they apply depends on your facts.
For the grounds set out in Article 25 of Law No. 26 of 2007 (sale of the property, the landlord's own use, or major renovation) the notice period is 12 months, and the notice must be notarised or sent by registered mail. Eviction for non-payment of rent follows a shorter route; a cure period of around 30 days is commonly cited in current professional commentary before further steps are taken.
Four things are examined together: the period given, the ground relied on, the form of the notice and how it was served. Under Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended, notice on Article 25 grounds should be notarised or sent by registered mail. A notice that is short, that relies on a ground the landlord cannot make out, or that was delivered by email or messaging app may be open to challenge, but this is fact-sensitive and subject to applicable UAE law.
Start by having the notice reviewed before you respond, sign anything or move out. If there are grounds to dispute it, your position is put formally on record and, if necessary, argued before the Rental Disputes Center. Do not simply ignore a notice. Silence can weaken your position later.
Keep the notice and note how and when it arrived, then have it reviewed before you respond. Where a landlord relies on an Article 25 ground but gave a shorter period, the notice's enforceability is open to challenge, though the period, the ground, the form and the service are assessed together.
The statute contemplates notarisation or registered mail for Article 25 grounds, so a notice delivered by email or messaging app may not meet the required form and may be open to challenge. Whether it fails in your case is fact-sensitive and depends on the ground and the documents, so do not assume either way. Keep the message and send it to us.
Sale of the property and the landlord's own use are among the grounds in Article 25, so eviction on those bases may be available, but the 12-month notarised or registered-mail notice requirement applies. Where notice is given on one of those grounds and the property is then re-let rather than sold or occupied, the tenant's position may be different. As reported by legal publishers, after an eviction for the landlord's own use or for sale, the landlord may be restricted from re-letting the unit to someone else for 2 years (residential) or 3 years (non-residential).
Yes, the landlord's own use is an Article 25 ground, but only with 12 months' notice, notarised or sent by registered mail, and the ground has to be one the landlord can actually make out. As reported, personal use generally needs the owner to have no other suitable property, and a landlord may also evict where a first-degree relative needs the unit. A landlord who wants to use the property should start early and start correctly.
Once a case is before the Rental Disputes Center, current legal publishers report typical timelines of roughly 30 to 60 days, with simpler mediated matters resolving faster. That is separate from the notice period itself. On an Article 25 ground the 12 months runs before any filing, so the full timeline is considerably longer.
The landlord's route is to file at the Rental Disputes Center and seek an order, then enforce it. Staying on is not itself a defence, but it also does not mean the notice was valid. As reported, rent continues to fall due until the eviction order is executed, and filing a case does not by itself stop an eviction. The better course is to have the notice assessed while there is still time to respond.
Treat a lock-out or a disconnection as a separate issue from the eviction and raise it immediately. Self-help of this kind can create liability for a landlord, and cutting services or changing locks is reported to be prohibited under Article 34. A tenant affected by it may have remedies. Call us as soon as you can and keep a dated record of what happened.
Non-payment follows a shorter route than the Article 25 grounds, with a cure period of around 30 days commonly cited before further steps. After that a claim may be filed at the Rental Disputes Center for the arrears and, where appropriate, for possession. See landlord lawyer Dubai.
Eviction disputes between landlords and tenants are heard by the Rental Disputes Center. Both sides can file there, and MBM files and defends cases before it. As at September 2026 it remains a distinct tribunal and has not been merged into Dubai Courts. Its own website, rdc.gov.ae, publishes current guidance, forms and fees. MBM is a law firm and is not part of the Center.
Sometimes the right outcome is leaving, but later, with costs covered or on a settlement. That is a negotiation, and it is stronger once the notice has been tested. Whether compensation is available depends on the facts, for example where a lock-out occurred or a stated ground proves false.
No. The outcome of an eviction matter cannot be guaranteed by anyone. What we can do is test the notice, tell you straight away which points are arguable and which are not, and put your position on record properly. If a notice is sound and the ground is made out, we will tell you early.
Cost depends on the stage and the route. Drafting and serving a notice is a smaller piece of work than preparing and arguing a contested case with enforcement. We give you a scope and a fee position before you instruct us, and Center fees and translation costs are separate. The first consultation is free.
Yes. MBM's first consultation is free and confidential. It is a discussion of your situation and your options, and you do not need to bring every document. If you then choose to instruct MBM, we confirm the scope and the fee in writing before any paid work starts.
Yes. MBM represents commercial landlords and business tenants. Shop, office and warehouse evictions carry different commercial consequences and often a different contract, so the lease is read first. See commercial tenancy lawyer Dubai.
Your first consultation with MBM is free and confidential. Tell us briefly what has happened. A member of MBM’s legal team will review your enquiry and come back to you with the appropriate next step.
If a notice period is running, a case has been filed or you have been locked out, please call rather than waiting for a reply.
Dubai · Office 3204, Level 32, Business Central Towers – Tower B, Dubai Media City
Sharjah · Office 2001, Level 20, Al Hind Tower, Al Khalidiya District
Tell us what is happening in your own words. We will explain where you stand and what the sensible next step is.
Your first consultation is free and confidential. Whether you are serving notice or challenging one, the earlier the file is reviewed, the more options remain open. Send us the notice and we will tell you where you stand.
