Blog - UAE Tenant Rights & Employment Law Guides 2026

Tenant Rights

The 5% Housing Fee on Your DEWA Bill: What It Is and When It Is Wrong

Your DEWA bill has a line that is not electricity or water: the Dubai Municipality housing fee. Here is how it is calculated, why it can be charged on the wrong rent, and how to fix it.

Sep 28, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Mould, Damp and Pests in a Dubai Rental: Who Pays and What to Do

Black mould behind the wardrobe, a damp wall that never dries, bed bugs or cockroaches that keep coming back. Here is who is legally responsible under Dubai law, and the order of steps that actually gets it fixed.

Sep 28, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Do I Have to Register My Flatmate on Ejari? Dubai's Co-Occupant Rules

Dubai tenants are now expected to declare everyone living in the unit and keep Ejari updated. Here is who counts, how to add them, and why that viral AED 50,000 fine figure should not be trusted.

Aug 04, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Evicted for 'Sale' or 'Personal Use': Then They Re-Rented It. Claiming Compensation

Your Dubai landlord evicted you for personal use or sale, and now the flat is back on Bayut at a higher rent. Here is how compensation claims work at the RDC, and what evidence you need.

Aug 04, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Offer & Deposit: How to Legally Pay Rent When Your Dubai Landlord Refuses It

If your Dubai landlord refuses your cheques, they may be building a non-payment case against you. The offer and deposit mechanism lets you formally tender rent so you are never in default.

Aug 04, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Landlord Getting Around the Abu Dhabi Rent Freeze? 5 Tactics That Aren't Allowed

Since the 2 June 2026 freeze, Abu Dhabi tenants have reported landlords demanding extra "registration" payments, forcing one cheque instead of four, and offering 3-month renewals. Here is why each is a disguised increase.

Aug 04, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Abu Dhabi Rent Freeze 2026: What the 0% Cap Means for Your Renewal

On 2 June 2026 ADREC suspended all rent increases in Abu Dhabi. Here is what the 0% freeze means for your renewal, whether it applies to you, and what to do if your landlord ignores it.

Aug 04, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Real Estate Agent Commission in Dubai: Rules, the 5% Custom, and Disputes [2026]

How much commission should you really pay a Dubai rental agent? Understand the 5% market custom, how to verify a broker is RERA-registered, and what to do when a commission dispute turns ugly.

Jul 11, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Landlord Refuses to Renew Your Lease in Dubai: Do You Have to Leave? [2026]

Being told "I'm not renewing your contract" is not an eviction. In Dubai, your tenancy auto-renews unless the landlord has a valid legal ground and gave 12 months' notarised notice. Here's what to do.

Jul 09, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Paying Above Market? How to Negotiate a Rent REDUCTION in Dubai [2026]

The RERA index works both ways. If your rent is above the market average, Dubai law gives you real leverage to negotiate a reduction at renewal: here's exactly how to do it.

Jul 07, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

Chiller Fees in Dubai: Who Pays, What "Chiller Free" Means, and Contract Traps [2026]

District cooling charges can add thousands of dirhams to your real cost of renting in Dubai. Learn how Empower, Emicool and Tabreed billing works, what "chiller free" actually covers, and the contract clauses that catch tenants out.

Jul 05, 2026 Read more

Tenant Rights

AC Broken in Dubai? Who Pays for Repairs: Landlord or Tenant? [2026]

Your AC has failed in the middle of a Dubai summer and the landlord says it's your problem. Here's what Law 26/2007 actually says about who pays for repairs, and how to force action.

Jul 04, 2026 Read more

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