Ending a tenancy in Dubai: the 12-month notice and the four legal grounds
You cannot simply decline to renew. Dubai law restricts end-of-tenancy eviction to four specific grounds — each with its own conditions.
The 12-month rule
Under Article 25(2) of Law No. 26 of 2007 (as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008), a landlord may seek to evict a tenant at the end of the contract only for one of four grounds, and must give 12 months’ written notice served through a notary public or by registered mail.
The four grounds
- Sale — the owner wants to sell the property
- Owner / first-degree relative use — the owner, or a first-degree relative, wants to live in it (and the owner does not own a suitable alternative)
- Demolition / reconstruction — requires the relevant authority permits
- Comprehensive renovation — works that cannot be carried out while the unit is occupied, supported by a Dubai Municipality–attested technical report
How to serve it
The 12-month notice must be served via notary public or registered mail — not informal channels — so there is a clear, provable service date. The clock runs from valid service.
Pillar OS generates a clean, tenant-ready notice for each of the four grounds, with the supporting-requirement prompts built in. The wording should still be reviewed by a qualified adviser before you rely on it in a dispute.