---
title: "Eviction notice (12 months)"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/eviction-notice
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/glossary/eviction-notice.md
type: glossary-term
description: "In Dubai a landlord can recover a let home at the end of the lease only for four reasons, with at least 12 months' notice served by notary public or registered mail."
publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)"
language: en-GB
usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting."
---

# Eviction notice (12 months)

> In Dubai a landlord can recover a let home at the end of the lease only for four reasons, with at least 12 months' notice served by notary public or registered mail.

Also known as: 12-month notice, Twelve months' notice, Notarised eviction notice, Notice to vacate.

## What Eviction notice (12 months) means for a buyer

Dubai's tenancy law, Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, protects tenants at the end of a lease. A landlord who wants the property back when the contract expires must give at least 12 months' written notice, served through a notary public or by registered mail, and must rely on one of four grounds:

- the owner wants to sell the property
- the owner needs it for their own use or that of a first-degree relative, and owns no other suitable property
- the property is to be demolished and rebuilt, with the necessary permits
- it needs major repairs or renovation that cannot be done with the tenant in place, certified by the competent authority

Two rules follow. A home recovered for personal or family use may not be let to someone else for at least two years. And a tenant moved out for rebuilding or renovation can return at a rent set by the tribunal.

During the lease the position is different: a tenant can be evicted for breaches such as rent unpaid 30 days after a written demand, or unauthorised subletting.

For a buyer, this matters when purchasing a tenanted home. The lease survives the sale, so if you want vacant possession you inherit the 12-month timetable. Check the lease dates, the [Ejari](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/ejari) registration and whether any notice has already been served before you agree a price.

## Related terms

- [Ejari](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/ejari): Ejari is Dubai's mandatory online register of tenancy contracts, run by the Dubai Land Department; a lease is not fully enforceable until it is recorded there.
- [Long-term lease](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/long-term-lease): A long-term lease normally means a standard residential tenancy of a year, registered with the authorities; in law it can also mean a lease of 10 to 99 years.
- [Rental index](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/rental-index): The rental index is the Dubai Land Department's official benchmark of market rents, used to decide whether and by how much a landlord may raise rent at renewal.
- [Tenant deposit](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/tenant-deposit): A tenant deposit is a refundable sum the tenant pays the landlord at the start of a lease as security against damage and unpaid bills.

## In depth

- [Renting out property in Dubai: a landlord's guide to Ejari, rent increases, eviction and letting from abroad](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/renting-out-property-in-dubai)


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Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/eviction-notice. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.