What to do when your tenant is not paying rent

Work in this order: record what is owed, ask in writing, send a formal payment notice served the right way, then file a case if it is still unpaid. In Dubai the tenant has 30 days after your payment notice before eviction for non-payment can be pursued. In Sharjah it is 15 days after the due date.

Step by step (Dubai)

1. Record what is due: the instalment or cheque, the due date, cheque number, and any bank return.
2. Message the tenant asking for payment by a date. Keep the messages.
3. Send a written rent demand (see the sample on the rent demand letter page).
4. If it is still unpaid, serve a formal payment notice by notary public or registered mail, giving 30 days to pay.
5. If it is still unpaid after 30 days, file at the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC).

Filing at the RDC (Dubai)

• You file online through the RDC website or through a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre.
• Documents: Ejari-registered tenancy contract, Emirates ID, a bank letter or statement showing your IBAN, proof of the notice, and supporting papers such as messages, cheques and DEWA bills.
• The RDC works in Arabic. English documents need a translation by a Ministry of Justice certified translator.
• Fees reported for eviction, termination and renewal claims: 3.5% of the annual rent, minimum AED 500, maximum AED 20,000. Monetary claims: 3.5% of the amount, maximum AED 15,000. Other service fees may apply on top.
• Timeline: the law aims for a decision within 30 days of referral, and the RDC often issues judgment in one or two hearings. Expert referrals, appeals and enforcement take longer.
• Fast route: a payment order is possible only if the tenant acknowledged the debt in writing and there is no dispute about repairs or damage. Otherwise use the standard case route.

Other emirates

In Sharjah, eviction for non-payment can be pursued when rent is unpaid 15 days after its due date. In Abu Dhabi, tenancy disputes go to the Rent Dispute Settlement Committee under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

If a cheque bounced

Keep the cheque and the bank return slip, note the cheque number in your demand, and include them in the case papers. Take legal advice on any criminal complaint, because the rules on bounced cheques are separate from the tenancy case.

How DOSH helps

DOSH tracks every post-dated cheque and instalment, so you see which payment is overdue the day it is. The AI drafts the rent demand from the lease and the unpaid payments, including bounced cheque numbers on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions