Dubai: Seven cases where a tenant can get evicted before the expiry of the lease contract

Dubai: If you are leasing a villa or apartment in Dubai, it is important to equip yourself with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) tenancy guidelines and be beware of your rights and obligations as a tenant in the Emirate.

The provisions for tenants and landlords are stipulated in Law No. (26) of 2007 - Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai. Article 25 of this law highlights seven cases where a landlord can evict a tenant before the expiry of the lease contract.

So, before you sign your lease contract, you should review the cases for immediate eviction by a landlord stated in Article 25 and its clauses.

Eviction Cases Article (25)

The Landlord may seek eviction of the Tenant from the Real Property before the expiry of the Lease Contract term in any of the following cases:

• Where the Tenant fails to pay the rent or any part thereof within thirty (30) days from the date of service of Notice to pay on the Tenant by the Landlord;

• Where the Tenant sublets the property or any part thereof without obtaining the Landlord’s written approval. In this case, the eviction will apply to the sub-tenant, who will have the right to claim compensation from the tenant;

• Where the tenant uses the property or allows others to use it for any illegal purpose or for a purpose which breaches public order or morals;

• Where the tenant makes a change to the Property that endangers its safety in a manner that makes it impossible to restore the Real Property to its original state, or damages the Real Property wilfully, or through gross negligence, by failing to exercise due diligence, or by allowing others to cause such damage. 

• Where the tenant uses the property for a purpose other than that for which it was let, or otherwise uses such property in a manner that violates planning, construction, and use-of-land regulations in force in the Emirate. According to Dubai Land Department (DLD), there is no statutory notice period for this type of eviction, which means that the tenant will not have a period to shift from the leased premises or find a new apartment or villa

• Where the property is condemned [deemed unsafe and/or no longer fit to live in by the local authority], provided that the landlord proves this by a technical report attested to by Dubai Municipality, or

• Where the tenant fails to observe any obligation imposed on him by this Law or any of the Lease Contract terms within 30 days from the date a Notice to perform such obligation or term is served upon him by the landlord.