The Dubai Land Department announced that its Rental Disputes Centre completed 2,350 reconciliation cases during the first nine months of 2026. These cases carried a total value of AED 401 million and were resolved in an average of six days each. The department attributed the performance to effective mediation processes that deliver timely outcomes while upholding the rights of landlords and tenants alike.
Judge Abdulqader Mousa Mohammed, president of the Rental Disputes Centre, stated that the results achieved until the end of the third quarter reflect the effectiveness of the reconciliation mechanism in accelerating the settlement of rental disputes. He added that the speed of adjudication, quality of procedures and guarantee of rights represent fundamental pillars in the centre’s operations. The centre functions as the judicial arm of the Dubai Land Department and handles all landlord-tenant conflicts in the emirate.
Dubai Land Department data shows the emirate registered 1.38 million tenancy contracts in 2025, a 6 percent rise in volume and 17 percent increase in value from the previous year to reach AED 126.4 billion. New lease agreements exceeded 513,000, up 10 percent, while renewals rose 3 percent to more than 514,000 contracts. These figures from the Dubai Land Department illustrate the scale of the rental market that generates the disputes managed by the centre.
Common cases before the Rental Disputes Centre include eviction for non-payment, lease renewal disagreements and compensation claims, according to senior officials at the centre. Khaleej Times reported that ambiguity in contractual terms often underlies such conflicts between the parties. The centre requires claims to be filed either online or at designated trustee offices, with fees calculated at 3.5 percent of the annual rent or claimed amount subject to specified minimum and maximum thresholds.
A separate Khaleej Times review of second-quarter 2025 performance showed the centre had finalised 443 reconciliation agreements worth AED 190.7 million during that period, also at a six-day average. The Rental Disputes Centre reported that its legal framework aims to decide claims within 30 days of referral to the tribunal, with extensions granted only when necessary. Recent additions of 15 judges have brought the total to more than 50 to support faster case handling.
The centre maintains partnerships with government and private entities to integrate digital tools that streamline document exchange and notifications, the Dubai Land Department stated. Such collaborations have enhanced operational efficiency and reduced administrative burdens on users. Population growth to more than 4 million residents in 2025, as reported by Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment, has further driven demand for both rental housing and effective dispute resolution services.
