Regulation

Dubai tenant wins RDC case after landlord re-let the unit within the 2-year ban

A Dubai tenant evicted on the 'personal use' ground discovered the unit re-rented within months — and won at the Rental Dispute Centre. The facts, the ruling, and what it means for tenants.

Sakani editorial team 4 min read10 June 2026

The facts

A tenant in a Dubai apartment received a 12-month notarised eviction notice on the ground that the landlord's first-degree relative would occupy the unit — a valid Article 25(2) ground under Law No. 33 of 2008. The tenant vacated on time, took photos of the handover, and moved to a more expensive unit nearby because comparable rents in the same building had risen sharply.

What went wrong for the landlord

A few months after the handover, the tenant noticed the unit had been listed and rented to a completely unrelated third party. A quick check confirmed a new Ejari registration in a different name, well inside the two-year restriction period that applies to evictions on the 'personal use' or 'sale' grounds.

The RDC case and ruling

The tenant filed at the Rental Dispute Centre with the original notarised notice, the handover photos, the new Ejari record, and the rent difference on the replacement property. The RDC ruled in the tenant's favour, finding that the landlord had breached the 2-year re-let restriction. The award covered the documented rent difference for the remaining months of the restriction, the cost of moving, and case fees.

Why this matters for every Dubai tenant

The case is not unusual — variants of it appear regularly at the RDC. The law is clear, the procedure is tenant-friendly when notice rules are not followed, and the evidence (Ejari records, the original notarised notice, lease agreements) is straightforward to assemble. If you were evicted on the sale or personal-use ground, monitoring the unit for two years afterwards is one of the highest-leverage things a former tenant can do.

What to do next

If you have just been served a notice, start with our guide to Dubai's eviction notice law and the 2-year re-let rule. If you have already vacated, follow our step-by-step guide on tenant rights after eviction and start checking the Ejari status of your old unit. For the broader regional picture on rent regulation, see Abu Dhabi's 2026 rent freeze.

Sakani is a property-technology platform. When you choose the Licensed Brokerage closing track, Form A / Form B / Form F contracts and DLD trustee transactions are handled by a RERA-licensed brokerage partner. You may also use your own RERA-licensed broker or lawyer if you prefer.

List your property I'm buying Read the guides

The facts

What went wrong for the landlord

The RDC case and ruling

Why this matters for every Dubai tenant

What to do next

More from the blog