Dubai: Can Landlords Evict Tenants Before Contract Expires If They Intend To Live There?

In Dubai, a landlord may evict a tenant before the expiry or upon the expiry of a tenancy contract. In your case, as you intend to reside in your villa, the conditions prescribed for eviction fall under the provision of the tenant’s eviction upon the contract’s expiry. A landlord may evict a tenant from a rented premises by serving 12 months’ notice through a notary public if,

• a landlord wishes to demolish and reconstruct the rented property upon obtaining permission from competent local authorities,
• the restoration or repair of rented property cannot be carried out while the tenant is occupying the same,
• if the landlord or his or her first-degree family members wish to reside in the rented property if the landlord does not have any other alternative property to reside in Dubai, provided they reside in the same for at least two years upon obtaining repossession of the rented property from a tenant and
• if the landlord wishes to sell the rented property.

Moreover, Article 26 of the Amended Rent Law states, “Where the Tribunal rules in favour of the landlord retaking possession of the Real Property for his use or for use by any of his first-degree relatives, in accordance with sub-paragraph (2)(c) of Article 25 of this Law, the landlord may not rent the real property to a third party before the lapse of at least two (2) years in case of residential Real Property, or three (3) years in case of non-residential Real Property, from the date of retaking possession of the same. Otherwise, the tenant may request the Tribunal to award him fair compensation.”

In accordance with the above-mentioned provisions, as you intend to live in your own villa you may notify the tenant to vacate the villa by serving at least 12 months notice through a notary public. Upon taking possession of villa, you may not rent it to any third party for at least 2 years from the date you have taken possession of your villa.