UAE: Can you appeal eviction judgment even if rental claim is less than Dh100K?

Question: Five days ago, the Rental Dispute Center issued a judgment ordering me to vacate my apartment and pay Dh28,000 to the landlord, who had filed the case to evict me due to non-payment of rent. I was informed that I do not have the right to appeal this judgment because the claim amount is less than Dh100,000. Do I have the right to appeal this decision or not?

Answer: I would advise that you have the right to appeal this judgment, even though the claim amount is less than Dh100,000. This is because eviction judgments are excluded from the rule restricting appeals based on claim value, as stated under Article (17) of Decree No. (26) of 2013 Concerning the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre in the Emirate of Dubai.

Article (17) provides that:

(a) Judgments of the First Instance Division may be appealed to the Appellate Division, except for judgments issued in rent claims whose value is less than Dh100,000, which shall be final and not subject to appeal.

(b) However, judgments issued by the First Instance Division for claims valued at less than Dh100,000 may still be appealed in certain cases, including when an eviction judgment is issued.

In addition to eviction cases, Article (17) also lists other circumstances under which First Instance judgments can be appealed even if the claim value is below Dh100,000. These include:

When the judgment breaches the rules of jurisdiction.

When the judgment grants relief not requested by the parties, exceeds what was requested, or fails to address relief requested by the parties.

When the judgment is issued against a person who was not duly represented in the case, or where the service of summons was invalid.

When the judgment is based on documents later proven or judicially declared to be false, or based on testimony later declared to be false.

When a party to a contract concealed evidence or documents from the First Instance Division that could have changed the judgment.