Tenant-landlord disputes surge amid soaring Dubai rental costs

Tenant-landlord disputes surge amid soaring Dubai rental costs

Dubai’s surging property prices – and consequent rental hikes and illegal evictions – are leading to a rise in landlord-tenant legal disputes in courts across the emirate, experts told Al Arabiya English.

The realty market in Dubai saw a rebound in 2022 and 2023, with the emirate’s economy making a strong post-COVID-19 recovery. This resulted in many residents facing steep hikes in rentals, even as there were rising instances of tenants being unlawfully evicted by owners as the latter looked for higher earnings on soaring property prices.

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Now, an increasing number of tenants are looking to sue their former landlords for up to a year’s rent after being forced out of their homes.

Dr Hassan Elhais, a legal consultant at Al Rowaad Advocates, told Al Arabiya English that Dubai Land Department’s Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) is currently handling an influx of complaints filed by tenants against landlords. Al Arabiya English came across examples of owners demanding a 50 per cent hike in rentals from their existing tenants in order to get their contracts renewed or vacate the properties.

The demands by some landlords violate government rent control rules and