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Tenant not paying rent, what to do?

Tenant was issued eviction notice (with reason to sell) in January 2024.

Current tenancy contract was valid till September 2024.

Tenant demanded renewal for 1 full year, which was defined citing the…
Tenant was issued eviction notice (with reason to sell) in January 2024.

Current tenancy contract was valid till September 2024.

Tenant demanded renewal for 1 full year, which was defined citing the eviction notice.

As a result, no tenancy renewal was done and no rent was paid by tenant.

1.5 months months passed, a legal notice was sent to tenant through Dubai courts notifying to pay within 30 days and vacate the apartment. Now 26 days have passed and tenant still has not signed new agreement nor paid rent.

What is the next step to evict this tenant legally? My understanding is to go to RDC but I don't understand what will they do and how much time will they take to get the tenant to leave?

Anyone who can guide please
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honestly you're past the point where reddit advice is gonna cut it. the RDC will handle this but they move on their own timeline. once you file, they'll try mediation first and if that fails issue an eviction order. that process can take 2-4 months depending on their caseload right now.

one thing people overlook is that the tenant can appeal the RDC decision which adds another month or two. and even after you win, the Dubai Police eviction execution team is backed up, I've seen it take another 30-45 days just to get them to show up.

you should have filed the RDC case the day the 30 day notice expired. don't wait another day. also check if your Ejari is still active, if it expired without renewal the RDC might ask questions about why you didn't enforce the eviction notice sooner.

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You need to file at RDC immediately. The 30-day notice period is almost up and if you let it lapse without filing, you risk having to start the whole process over again. You can file online through the Dubai Courts website, it takes about 15 minutes if you have your documents ready.

The RDC will first assign a mediator who will try to get the tenant to pay or agree to a payment plan. If that fails, which it sounds like it will, the case goes to a judge who will issue an eviction order. The judge's decision usually comes within 4-6 weeks from filing, assuming no delays.

One thing people don't mention enough is that you need to make sure your eviction notice was properly notarized and served. The RDC will reject your case if the legal notice wasn't filed through the official court system. Also check that your Title Deed is up to date because they'll ask for it to prove you're the actual owner with the right to sell.

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Image sylke ·

Lawyer up. Dubai's rental laws are...specific. Don't try DIY on this one.

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3 Days in Dubai: Itinerary 2026

🗓️ Overview
This 3-day itinerary groups attractions by neighborhood to minimize transit time. You'll explore Old Dubai, modern Downtown, and the beachfront, with realistic travel times included. U…
🗓️ Overview
This 3-day itinerary groups attractions by neighborhood to minimize transit time. You'll explore Old Dubai, modern Downtown, and the beachfront, with realistic travel times included. Use the Dubai Metro and taxis to move efficiently between areas.

🏛️ Day 1: Old Dubai
Start at the Dubai Museum in Al Fahidi Fort (open 8:30am-8:30pm, 3 AED). Walk through the Al Fahidi Historical District, then take an abra across Dubai Creek (1 AED) to the Spice Souk and Gold Souk. Have lunch at Al Ustad Special Kebab (Al Mankhool Road, around 40 AED per person).

🌆 Day 2: Downtown & Burj Khalifa
Visit the Burj Khalifa at the Top observation deck (book online in advance, from 169 AED). Explore the Dubai Mall (open 10am-midnight) and see the Dubai Fountain shows every 30 minutes from 6pm. Dinner at The Dubai Mall food court or nearby Souk Al Bahar.

🏖️ Day 3: Beach & Marina
Spend the morning at JBR Beach (free public access) or Kite Beach (free, with rentals). Walk along The Walk at JBR for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Dubai Marina Mall and take a 1-hour yacht tour from Marina Walk (from 100 AED). End with dinner at Pier 7.

🚇 Getting Around
The Dubai Metro (Red and Green lines) runs from 5am to midnight, with fares from 3 AED. Taxis start at 12 AED and are widely available. For Old Dubai, use the abra (water taxi) across the creek for 1 AED per trip.

💰 Budget Tips
Buy a Nol card for metro and bus travel (reloadable, from 25 AED). Many attractions offer online discounts if booked 48 hours ahead. Street food in Bur Dubai costs as little as 10 AED for a shawarma, while fine dining in Downtown starts at 200 AED per person.

🌙 Evening Options
On Day 1, watch the sunset from the Dubai Creek. Day 2: catch the 7pm or 8pm Dubai Fountain show. Day 3: visit The Pointe on Palm Jumeirah for views of Atlantis and dinner with a view (book at The Palm Fountain show, free).
Become a Local Guide in Dubai to earn up to $50.00/hour by helping travelers that are interested in Dubai and want to connect to learn about the current climate, discover hidden gems, or get help planning their itinerary.
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This is a well thought out plan, I've used a similar one for years when people visit. One thing to note on day 1, if you take the abra across the creek, get off at the second stop, not the first one right by the spice souk. The first stop dumps you into the main tourist crush, but the second one puts you right on the edge of the gold souk and you miss the worst of the touts trying to sell you scarves.

For day 2, the Dubai Aquarium inside the mall is worth a quick stop if you've got the Dubai Mall on your list anyway. It's not the biggest in the world but you can see the main tank for free from outside, and the tunnel walkway is about 100 AED if you want to go through. It takes maybe 20 minutes and gives you a break from the mall chaos.

On day 3, you mentioned the yacht tour but if you're on a tighter budget, the Dubai Ferry from Marina Walk to the Palm is only 25 AED and gives you similar views. It runs every hour and takes about 45 minutes, you'll see Atlantis from the water and it's way less crowded than the tourist boats.

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honestly this is a solid plan, i've done almost this exact route with visiting friends and it works well. one thing i'd add is on day 1, skip the dubai museum if you're short on time, it's small and a bit dated. instead walk straight to the al fahidi district and grab a karak chai from one of the little cafes there, like arabian tea house, it's way more atmopsheric and costs like 5 aed.

for day 2, if you're going up the burj khalifa, try to book the sunset slot around 5pm but do it like 2 weeks ahead or you'll pay triple. also the dubai mall is a maze, seriously, so pick one or two things you want to see inside and stick to that or you'll waste hours walking.

day 3, i prefer kite beach over jbr because it's less crowded and the water is cleaner, plus you can watch the skydivers land which is fun. for lunch, skip the walk and walk 5 mins to the marina promenade near pier 7, there's a lebanese place called al safadi that does killer grilled meat for like 60 aed a person, much better than the generic food court stuff.

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solid plan, i've done this with family a few times and it holds up. one thing the guide doesn't mention is that the metro gets packed during rush hours, like 5pm to 7pm, so if you're heading to the burj khalifa around then just take a taxi, it's like 30 aed from old dubai and saves you the crush.

for day 1, the gold souk is fun but don't bother bargaining hard unless you're actually buying, the shopkeepers get annoyed and it's not worth the hassle. also the spice souk is mostly tourist stuff now, but the aroma walking through is still nice, just don't expect real deals.

on day 3, kite beach is a solid call but if you want a proper swim, head to la mer instead, it's quieter and has better food options right on the sand. the yacht tour from marina walk is worth it for the instagram shots but skip the dinner at pier 7, it's overpriced and the service is slow, grab a pizza at the marina mall food court for like 30 aed instead.

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