Rental dispute center Dubai: filing and fees (2026)

Where should you start?

For registration paperwork, use the Ejari renewal steps, document list and fee comparison. For ending registration after a tenancy, the Ejari cancellation guide covers a different administrative task.

Online filing: first visit or an existing case?

The first-instance procedure says first-time users must sign up for an account before entering the RDC system and selecting the service (checked 9 November 2026). Keep the account and case references in your own records.

Is RDC the same as the RERA dispute center?

People use “RERA dispute center” as a search phrase, but the official service provider named on these filing pages is the Rental Disputes Center. Its directory, checked 8 November 2026, separates conciliation, rental lawsuits, jointly-owned-property lawsuits, appeals and execution, as well as petitions and offer-and-deposit services. Do not select a similarly named service without checking what it does.

Describe the outcome you need, then ask RDC which service fits:

This table does not decide jurisdiction for a free-zone lease, special contract or particular property. Keep the lease and property reference available when asking the service.

If the disagreement concerns a rent increase, first keep the inputs and dated result from the official rental-price check and renewal-band guide with the lease and notice. The result alone does not decide the case.

What documents should you prepare?

The conciliation document list, also reflected in the first-instance card, was rechecked 9 November 2026:

• Latest lease/Ejari and individual Emirates ID; companies supply a trade licence and manager/owner photo identification.
• Bank evidence showing the claimant's IBAN.
• For eviction requests, the specified notarised notice/service report or registered-post acknowledgement.
• Supporting material relevant to the claim, such as correspondence, notices, cheques, bills and any power of attorney.

It requires documents in Arabic or legally translated into Arabic, uploaded in the system's relevant sections. Confirm requirements for your actual filing before commissioning translations. If the Ejari or a notice is missing, ask RDC what evidence it can accept before commissioning a replacement.

Use the evidence index date | event | document | amount | requested outcome. Keep rent payments, deposits and other disputed sums in separate rows. Retain the full correspondence rather than a cropped extract. For a disturbance, the noisy-neighbours guide can help organise observations; a noise report alone does not establish a tenancy remedy.

How much are RDC fees in 2026?

The first-instance card's fee section, checked 9 November 2026, publishes these amounts:

Fictional arithmetic examples, not quotations: if RDC classifies a request on an annual-rent basis of AED 80,000, 80,000 × 3.5% = AED 2,800 before supplements. A monetary claim of AED 5,000 gives 175 before the minimum, so the published base-fee floor is AED 500. These illustrate separate request categories; do not add them into one case total. Multiple requests, their classification and other applicable costs require confirmation; translation and legal-representation costs are not estimated here.

How do you file through RDC?

RDC's case-registration FAQ, checked 8 November 2026, describes entering the lease, parties, requests and documents online. The following preparation sequence also uses the official first-instance workflow:

1. Write down the remedy requested and identify the correct service in RDC's directory. Resolve a service-selection question before paying.
2. Assemble the claim facts, tenancy/party details and required Arabic documents. Reconcile each amount against its evidence.
3. Enter the official RDC system and choose the service; enter the details and upload the documents. Alternatively, take the materials to a listed trustee centre for entry.
4. Review the request and pay through the official process after electronic verification. Retain the payment and case references.
5. Follow the case record for hearing instructions, attend through the tele-litigation route when notified, and retrieve the judgment through the website.

The service card states one business day to complete registration. Monitor the case record for hearing dates and deadlines, and ask RDC promptly if a notice is unclear.

Can you settle without a first-instance judgment?

RDC's Amicable Settlement service, checked 9 November 2026, provides conciliation. A settlement is signed by the parties and conciliator, approved by a supervising judge and enforceable at RDC. The card says half the court fee paid for basic claims is refunded if conciliation results in settlement. That refund covers the basic-claim court fee, not every expense. Ask RDC whether conciliation fits your dispute.

Before agreeing, make sure the proposed wording addresses the actual sums, dates, possession or other obligations in dispute. Check who must do what, by when, and how they’ll confirm completion. Make sure the agreement covers the disputed deposit and outstanding bills. If the effect is unclear, obtain qualified advice before signing. For separate owner charges, distinguish Mollak service-charge records from rent and read the community-fees guide to organise the cost documents.

How do you contact RDC about an application?

For a nearby worksite disturbance, first organise the observations using the Dubai construction-noise complaint checklist. Keep any authority reference with your lease file; it does not determine which tenancy remedy, if any, RDC can consider.

The official contact page lists 8004484 and an enquiry route, with the office at the DLD Building, Baniyas Road (checked 9 November 2026). Use it to ask about a missing upload, service choice or application status; retain any reference and error message.

For linking an existing lawsuit to an account, the RDC FAQ specifically lists [email protected] and the requested identification and case details (checked 8 November 2026). That is a task-specific email, not proof that a lawsuit can be filed by email. Verify the address on RDC's own site before sending identity documents; never send them to us.

FAQ

Can a tenant or landlord file online?

RDC's first-instance card describes online filing for landlord–tenant disputes and a trustee-centre alternative. Check the actual service requirements and jurisdiction for your lease before submitting.

Does registering a case stop a payment or notice deadline?

Ask RDC or a qualified adviser about your notice, payment and court deadlines before changing your arrangements.

Is conciliation free?

The published service card includes fees. It describes a conditional refund of half the basic-claim court fee on settlement, not a fee-free service or a refund of all costs.

Will RDC resolve the case in one business day?

The one-business-day figure covers registration. Follow the case record for hearing dates and ask RDC about the next step after a judgment.

Recheck the fee and document list on RDC’s service card before filing.