.png)
In Dubai there is no procedure called cancelling a tenancy contract: the legal term is termination, and the law defines how a tenancy can end. There are four routes: mutual agreement at any time, non-renewal at expiry, early termination under the contract's own terms, and termination for cause through the Rental Disputes Centre. This guide covers each route, the notices involved, and what happens to the deposit and the Ejari registration afterwards.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A valid tenancy contract cannot be ended unilaterally mid-term (Article 7, Dubai tenancy law). It ends by mutual agreement, under its own early-termination terms, at expiry, or by an RDC decision.
- A tenant leaving at expiry gives simple written notice, an email is enough, around 90 days before the contract ends. A landlord who wants the property back needs one of four legal grounds and 12 months' written notice through a notary public or registered mail, counted from the day the notice is served.
- The security deposit is refunded after move-out once the bills and the property's condition are settled. Normal wear and tear is never charged to the tenant.
Can you cancel a tenancy contract in Dubai?
In everyday speech people say "cancel the tenancy contract". The law calls it termination, and the difference matters: a signed contract binds both parties for its term and cannot be cancelled by one side deciding to walk away (Article 7 of Law No. 26 of 2007). What exists instead are four defined routes:
- Mutual agreement, at any time, on any terms the parties agree.
- Non-renewal at expiry, where the tenancy simply ends with the term.
- Early termination under the contract, using the notice and conditions written into it.
- Termination for cause, decided by the Rental Disputes Centre.
Cancelling the Ejari registration is a separate administrative step that follows once the tenancy has ended; it is covered in our guide to cancelling Ejari.
Ending the tenancy by mutual agreement
The landlord and tenant can agree to end the tenancy at any point, on any terms, including no penalty at all. The parties typically settle the vacate date, any compensation, and the outstanding rent, utilities, and deposit.
Put the agreement in writing as a short termination agreement signed by both parties, stating the end date and the settlement. Its terms must not contradict rental laws and regulations.
Not renewing at expiry
A tenant who does not want to renew informs the landlord in writing. No formal letter is required: a clear email stating that the tenant will not renew and will vacate upon expiry is enough. Give the notice around 90 days before expiry, the same window the law uses for changing terms, so the landlord can plan the re-letting. A simple wording:
Dear [landlord's name], I confirm that I will not be renewing the tenancy contract for [unit, building] when it expires on [date]. I will vacate the property by the expiry date and will coordinate the handover, the final utility bills, and the deposit return. [Name, date]
If you plan to stay instead, the process and the rules are in our guide to renewing a tenancy contract in Dubai.
A landlord cannot end the tenancy the same way. The law allows a landlord to recover the property only on four grounds: demolition or reconstruction, comprehensive renovation that cannot be done with the tenant in place, personal use or use by a first-degree relative, or sale of the property (Article 25 of Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended). The tenant is served 12 months' written notice of the reason, through a notary public or registered mail. The notice is not tied to expiry or the renewal cycle: it can be served at any point during the tenancy, and the tenant is entitled to stay for 12 months from the date of receiving it. A "this contract will not be renewed" clause does not change this; see tenancy contract clauses the RDC may not enforce.
Ending the tenancy early, before expiry
Most contracts contain an early-termination clause setting the notice period and the penalty, commonly agreed in the addendum. A tenant who needs to leave early follows that clause: give the notice, pay the agreed penalty, hand over the property.
If the contract has no early-termination provision, the landlord's agreement is needed. The landlord may refuse, and then the options are a mutual agreement on exit terms or a case at the RDC. Moving out does not by itself end the contract or its payment obligations. The same principle protects the tenant: a landlord who wants to end the tenancy early needs the tenant's agreement, unless one of the legal grounds for eviction applies (next section). The details, including force majeure and how the RDC assesses these cases, are in our guide to early termination of a tenancy contract.
Termination for cause through the RDC
A landlord can apply to the Rental Disputes Centre for eviction during the term only on the grounds defined in Article 25(1) of the law. The common ones: the tenant has not paid the rent within 30 days of a notice to pay, has sublet without the landlord's written approval, or uses the property unlawfully or in breach of the contract. Notices under this article are served through a notary public or registered post, and the tenancy ends by the RDC's decision, not by the landlord's own declaration. The full list of grounds is in Article 25 of the law.
After the tenancy ends: handover, deposit, Ejari
Handover. The tenant returns the property in the condition it was received in, except ordinary wear and tear (Article 21). The inventory list from the contract's addendum is the reference for what was in the property and in what condition.
Security deposit. The landlord refunds the deposit, or what remains of it, when the tenancy ends (Article 20). In practice the refund takes around 30 days, once the final utility bills and the property's condition are settled. Normal wear and tear is never deducted; documented damage is. If the parties disagree, the dispute goes to the RDC.
Ejari. The registration does not cancel itself when the tenancy ends; the record stays on the unit until it is cancelled, usually when the next tenancy is registered. The channels, costs, and documents are in the guide to cancelling Ejari linked above.
Sources
- Dubai Government. Dubai Real Estate Legislation: Law No. 26 of 2007 (as amended by Law 33 of 2008), Articles 6, 7, 20, 21, 25 and 27 [PDF].
URL: https://rdc.dubailand.gov.ae/Assets/img/Real_Estate_Legislation_en.pdf.
Accessed: 06.07.2026.
