Dubai's rental law protects the tenant's stability: the landlord may not evict a tenant merely because they wish to, but must instead establish one of the eviction grounds the law specifically defines, and satisfy its conditions and procedures. Regular payment of the rent protects the tenant from eviction for non-payment, but it does not prevent eviction where another lawful ground is established.
Amending the contract terms requires advance notice
The tenant must be notified of any amendment to the contract terms at least ninety days before it expires, unless the parties agree otherwise. Where no notice meeting this period is given, the tenant is entitled to insist on the previous terms upon renewal. Automatic renewal takes effect where the contract expires and the tenant continues to occupy the property without the landlord's objection, for a period equal to the original term or one year, whichever is shorter, and on the same other terms.
Personal use and maintenance require a year's notice
Eviction at the end of the contract for personal use or for comprehensive maintenance requires the tenant to be notified of the reason at least twelve months before the eviction date, through a notary public or registered mail. For personal use, the landlord must establish that they do not own a suitable alternative property; for maintenance, the work must be impossible to carry out with the tenant in occupation, supported by a technical report issued by, or approved by, Dubai Municipality.
The tenant has the right to defend their continued occupancy
Receiving an eviction notice does not mean it is necessarily valid. With the help of a specialist lawyer, the tenant can dispute the validity of the notice, its duration, the genuineness of its stated reason and whether its conditions are met, before the Rental Disputes Centre. The tenant may insist on remaining in occupation until the dispute is decided, in accordance with the applicable legal procedures, while continuing to pay the rent; merely filing a dispute does not guarantee that the eviction will be refused, nor does it automatically suspend enforcement of a judgment ordering it.