UAE landlord legal notice: templates and how to serve them
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the official source for your emirate before you act.
Pick the notice that matches your reason, use the right period, and serve it by notary public or registered mail. In Dubai, the key periods are 30 days for non-payment and breach, 90 days for changing renewal terms, and 12 months for ending a tenancy at expiry on a legal ground. WhatsApp, email and phone calls do not count for a notice that must be served.
Which notice to use
- Unpaid rent: payment notice. Dubai gives 30 days to pay.
- Breach of the lease (unauthorised subletting, misuse, damage): breach notice. Dubai gives 30 days to put it right.
- Changing rent or terms at renewal: notice at least 90 days before expiry.
- Ending the tenancy at expiry: notice at least 12 months before, on a legal ground such as own or first-degree relative's use, sale, major renovation or demolition.
What every notice should contain
- Parties, property and Ejari number.
- The reason, in plain words, with dates and amounts.
- What you want and the deadline.
- The period you are giving.
- Date, signature and how it was served.
Payment notice (Dubai, 30 days)
FORMAL NOTICE OF NON-PAYMENT OF RENT [Date] To: [Tenant full name] Property: [Unit, building, area, Dubai] Ejari number: [number] I am the landlord of the property above. The rent of AED [amount] for [period], due on [date], has not been paid despite my request on [date of first demand]. You are hereby notified to pay AED [amount] within thirty (30) days of receiving this notice. If payment is not made within that period, I will take the steps allowed by the tenancy law, including asking the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre to terminate the tenancy and order eviction. [Landlord name] [Signature] [Phone] [Email] Served by: [notary public / registered mail] Date served: [date]
Breach notice (Dubai, 30 days to remedy)
FORMAL NOTICE OF BREACH OF TENANCY [Date] To: [Tenant full name] Property: [Unit, building, area, Dubai] Ejari number: [number] I am the landlord of the property above. You are in breach of the tenancy contract by [describe the breach, with dates, for example: subletting the property without written approval]. You are required to remedy this breach within thirty (30) days of receiving this notice. If the breach is not remedied, I will ask the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre to terminate the tenancy. [Landlord name] [Signature] [Phone] [Email] Served by: [notary public / registered mail] Date served: [date]
Notice of non-renewal on a legal ground (Dubai, 12 months)
FORMAL NOTICE OF NON-RENEWAL [Date] To: [Tenant full name] Property: [Unit, building, area, Dubai] Ejari number: [number] I am the landlord of the property above. Your tenancy ends on [expiry date]. I will not renew it because [ground: personal use by myself / by my first-degree relative [name and relationship] / sale of the property / comprehensive renovation that cannot be done while occupied / demolition and reconstruction]. I have no suitable alternative property available for this use. [Attach any required report.] This notice is given at least twelve (12) months before the date on which I require vacant possession, which is [date]. [Landlord name] [Signature] [Phone] [Email] Served by: [notary public / registered mail] Date served: [date]
Before you send a non-renewal notice
This is the notice most likely to be challenged. Check your ground, attach what the law requires (for example a technical report for renovation), and take legal advice. If you re-let within two years of an own-use eviction (residential), the former tenant can claim compensation.
Service
A notice that must be served should go by notary public or registered mail, with the receipt kept. Court filings are in Arabic, so keep a certified translation ready if your documents are in English.
Other emirates
These templates are written for Dubai. Sharjah uses different periods (15 days for non-payment, 30 days to remedy a breach, 3 months for owner use).
How DOSH helps
DOSH fills the names, property, dates and amounts into the letter from your lease and tenant records. It does not decide which notice you are entitled to send, so check the ground and the period.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use these templates as they are?
They are a starting point for Dubai. Replace every bracket, check the period for your reason, and have a lawyer review anything that may reach court.
Does a notice end the lease?
No. A notice starts a period. If the tenant does not comply, you ask the rent dispute body to terminate the tenancy.
Who can serve the notice?
A notary public, or registered mail. Email, WhatsApp and phone calls do not meet this requirement for notices that must be served.