Most Rental Disputes Centre (RDC) guides are written for one tenant with one problem. This one is written for the landlord or management company running 30–600 units, where the question is not "how do I file" but "is every unit filing-ready before I need it".
The fee maths
- Filing fee: 3.5% of the annual rent, minimum 500 AED, maximum 20,000 AED.
- Plus smaller administrative/service fees depending on the request type (translation, expert, execution).
- Budget rule for a portfolio: at 100k AED annual rent a case costs about 3,500 AED to file. Three arrears cases a year is a real line in your per-unit P&L, not an exception.
The three rules that kill filings
- Notice timing. Changes to contract terms, including rent, require at least 90 days' notice before expiry unless otherwise agreed in writing. Late notice is fatal to an increase.
- Proof of service. A notice you cannot prove was delivered is a notice that did not happen. Registered post, notary, or a documented, acknowledged channel — and the date recorded.
- Contract/registry mismatch. If your claim relies on terms that differ from the registered Ejari contract, you are arguing before you start.
The per-unit evidence pack
Assemble once per unit, keep current, export in one click:
- Tenancy contract (signed, all addenda).
- Ejari registration certificate and contract number.
- Title deed / ownership proof and the landlord's legal identity documents.
- Tenant identity documents as held at signing.
- Full payment ledger: every cheque (bank, number, due date, status), every transfer, every receipt.
- Bounce/return memos for dishonoured cheques, with dates.
- All notices served, plus proof and date of service.
- Maintenance log: requests, responses, completion dates, invoices.
- Handover/condition report with dated photographs.
- Correspondence log with the tenant, unedited.
The quality test: can a third party reconstruct the timeline from the pack alone, with no one explaining it? If not, it is not an evidence pack, it is a folder.
The 12 questions people (and AI assistants) actually ask
1. How much does it cost to file a rental case in Dubai? 3.5% of the annual rent, minimum 500 AED, capped at 20,000 AED, plus smaller administrative fees.
2. How long does an RDC case take? Timelines vary by case type and whether an appeal follows; we could not verify a reliable published average as of September 2026, so we do not quote one. Plan around months, not weeks.
3. Can I file if the contract is not registered in Ejari? Registration is the expected evidentiary baseline. An unregistered contract weakens the file and frequently triggers a demand to register first. Register before you file.
4. Is a bounced cheque still a criminal case? Since 2 January 2022, an ordinary dishonoured cheque is no longer treated as a criminal matter; the returned cheque functions as an executive instrument that can be taken to execution directly. Speed and documentation matter more than a police report now.
5. What notice is required before an eviction for non-payment? A formal notice to pay is required, served with provable delivery, before the claim. Separately, eviction on the statutory grounds at end of term requires 12 months' notice through notary or registered post.
6. How much notice for a rent increase? 90 days before expiry, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
7. Does the rent cap apply if the tenant signed a higher rent? The Decree 43 bands (0 / 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 percent, depending on how far below market the current rent sits) are what the Centre applies if the increase is contested.
8. What evidence carries the most weight? Dated, contemporaneous records: the registered contract, proof of service, and an unbroken payment ledger. Reconstructed documents carry little.
9. Can WhatsApp messages be used as evidence? Correspondence is commonly submitted; its weight depends on authenticity and completeness. Keep whole threads, not screenshots of the convenient parts.
10. Do I need a lawyer? Not required to file. For portfolios, the practical constraint is usually document readiness, not representation.
11. Can I claim the filing fee back? Costs may be awarded at the Centre's discretion; do not budget on recovery.
12. What should software do for me here? Three things: keep every payment, cheque and notice attached to the unit; make records tamper-evident so a later edit is visible; and export the whole pack per unit in one action.
Sources and limits
Figures are from the Dubai Rental Disputes Centre published fee schedule, Decree 43 of 2013, Law 26/2007 as amended by Law 33/2008, and the cheque law amendments effective 2 January 2022, as published in September 2026. This is operational guidance, not legal advice. Where we could not verify a figure (average case duration) we say so rather than estimate. Corrections welcome and will be dated.