Part V — Tenancy & Management
The Rent Index, Ejari & the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre
How rent increases are capped by the RERA Rent Index slabs, why every lease goes through Ejari, and how the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre resolves fights — mediation first, judgment second.
Chapter 11 gave you the contract. This chapter gives you the three institutions wrapped around it: the Rent Index that caps increases, Ejari that registers the lease, and the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre (RDC) that referees the fights. Together they are why Dubai leasing disputes are fast and predictable.
The rent-increase slabs (Decree 43/2013)
RERA has statutory authority to set rent-increase criteria (Law 26/2007, Art. 10). Decree No. 43 of 2013 fixes the maximum increase on renewal, based on how far the current rent sits below the average rental value of similar units:
| Current rent vs the RERA Index average | Maximum increase |
|---|---|
| Up to 10% below | No increase |
| 11–20% below | 5% |
| 21–30% below | 10% |
| 31–40% below | 15% |
| More than 40% below | 20% |
Three facts about the slabs: (1) the average rental value of similar units is determined by the “Rent Index of the Emirate of Dubai” approved by RERA (Art. 3) — not by the landlord’s opinion; (2) the Decree applies to all landlords, private or public, including special development zones and free zones such as DIFC (Art. 2) — a favourite trick question; (3) the slabs are maximums on renewal — they never require an increase. Pair them with the 90-day notice rule from Chapter 11: a landlord who wants an increase must both be inside the slab and have given 90 days’ notice.
Ejari — registration in practice
Article 4 of the tenancy law requires every tenancy contract (and amendment) to be registered with RERA. Ejari (“my rent”) is the online system through which that registration happens. Why it matters practically:
- No Ejari, no action: judicial authorities and government departments may not consider any claim or dispute over an unregistered lease. A tenant or landlord without Ejari registration is locked out of the RDC.
- Utilities and services (DEWA connection, licences for a business at the premises) key off the Ejari certificate.
- For the broker: closing a rental deal includes ensuring the Ejari registration — an unregistered lease is unfinished work.
The Rent Disputes Settlement Centre (Decree 26/2013)
The Rent Disputes Settlement Centre is the specialised judicial body for rent disputes, created by Decree No. 26 of 2013. It replaced the old “Special Tribunal to Determine Disputes between Landlords and Tenants” (Art. 4) and sits at the Land Department (Art. 5). Its stated purpose: an expeditious and simple process for resolving rent disputes (Art. 3).
Jurisdiction (Art. 6). The Centre has exclusive jurisdiction over:
- all rent disputes between landlords and tenants in Dubai including in free zones, plus counterclaims and urgent/interim applications;
- appeals from its own appealable judgments; and
- enforcement of its own decisions.
It does NOT hear three categories — a classic exam item:
- disputes in free zones that have their own tribunals/courts for rent disputes (e.g. the DIFC’s own courts);
- disputes arising from lease finance contracts; and
- disputes over long-term leases registered under Law 7/2006 (those 99-year rights from Chapter 5 — they belong to the property-rights world, not tenancy).
Structure (Art. 7). A judicial sector with four units — the Mediation and Conciliation Directorate, the First Instance Division, the Appellate Division, and the Judgment Enforcement Directorate — plus an administrative sector. The Centre’s chairman must be a judge of at least appellate-court grade (Art. 8).
Mediation first — the RDC’s signature feature
Almost every dispute goes through the Mediation and Conciliation Directorate before a tribunal sees it (urgent/interim applications are the exception):
- Mediation aims to settle within 15 days of the parties’ appearance, extendable by the supervising judge (Art. 10(f)).
- A reached settlement is documented, signed and judge-approved — and has the force of a writ of execution (Art. 10(g)). It is directly enforceable; no further lawsuit needed.
- Limitation periods are suspended while the dispute is in mediation (Art. 10(e)).
- Incentive to settle: half the registration fee is refunded if the parties settle amicably (Art. 10(i)).
The RDC package in five lines: replaced the Special Tribunal (Decree 26/2013) · sits at DLD · exclusive jurisdiction incl. free zones except free zones with their own tribunals, lease-finance contracts, and registered long-term leases · mediation first — 15 days, settlement = writ of execution, half fee back · own enforcement directorate. Also from Chapter 11: eviction awards are executed through the Centre; and filing an eviction claim does not suspend the tenant’s duty to keep paying rent while the case runs (Law 26/2007, Art. 31).
Next: buildings owned by many people at once — jointly owned property, owners associations, and the service-charge machine.