An eviction notice is a formal notice from a landlord requiring a tenant to vacate a property, served on specific legal grounds and within strict procedural rules. In Dubai, the most common form is the 12-month notice required for certain grounds, served through a notary public or by registered mail.
Where you’ll see it
An eviction notice appears when a landlord wants possession back for example to sell the property or use it personally or where there is a serious breach by the tenant. Because the grounds and the way the notice is served are tightly regulated, the process is one a rental dispute specialist is often asked to guide for either side.
Why it matters
Dubai’s tenancy law protects tenants from arbitrary eviction. A notice served on the wrong grounds, for the wrong period, or through the wrong channel can be invalid — meaning the landlord cannot enforce it, and the tenant is entitled to stay. Getting the procedure right is what makes an eviction enforceable.
What it is not
An eviction notice is not the same as a notice of non-renewal or a rent-increase notice, which deal with the terms of continuing a tenancy rather than ending occupation. It is also not an immediate order to leave lawful eviction in Dubai follows a notice period and, if contested, a decision from the rental disputes centre.
Example
A landlord intending to sell serves a 12-month eviction notice on the tenant through a notary public, stating the ground for eviction. If the tenant disputes it, the matter goes to the rental disputes centre, which decides whether the notice meets the legal requirements.
Connected documents and parties
Tenancy contract, registered Ejari, the notice itself and proof of service, title deed; landlord, tenant, notary public, rental disputes centre.
Going deeper: for how eviction and rental disagreements are handled in Dubai, see the rental dispute guidance.
Related Terms
How we define terms
Every definition on glossary.ae follows a controlled structure: what the term is, what it is not, when it is used, and where you will see it. Read our editorial methodology to understand how terms are selected, reviewed, and maintained.
Read editorial methodology →
Last reviewed: June 2026