Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Checked against the text of Abu Dhabi Law No. 20 of 2006 as amended, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department's rental dispute pages and the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre. Sources are listed at the end.
Key Takeaways
- Either party who does not want to renew a residential lease in Abu Dhabi must give two months' written notice before expiry, three months for commercial premises (Article 20(3) of Law No. 20 of 2006).
- Since Law No. 4 of 2010 a landlord may decline to renew at expiry with that notice. No reason is required at the end of the term.
- During the term a landlord can only seek eviction on the grounds in Article 23 of Law 20/2006: unpaid rent, unauthorised subletting, overcrowding, misuse, nuisance, demolition of a building more than fifteen years old, or the landlord's own occupation with six months' notice.
- A tenant who pays the arrears and the landlord's costs before the case is decided avoids eviction for non-payment, once.
- Only the Rental Dispute Settlement Committees under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department can order an eviction, and only on a Tawtheeq-registered contract.
- Dubai is different: a Dubai landlord needs 12 months' notice through a Notary Public or registered mail to evict at expiry, and only on four grounds.
What Notice Period Applies in Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi's tenancy law, Law No. 20 of 2006 as amended by Law No. 4 of 2010, sets the notice period in Article 20(3). A party who does not wish to renew the lease, or wishes to amend its conditions, must notify the other in writing two months before expiry for residential property and three months for commercial, industrial or professional premises. People often search for a "60 day notice", and two months is the law's wording.
The rule cuts both ways. A tenant who wants to leave at expiry gives the same notice. A tenant who stays on after expiry with the landlord's knowledge and without objection has the lease renewed for a similar term on the same conditions (Article 20(2), Law 20/2006).
Before 2010 a landlord could not ask a tenant to leave at the end of the term. Law No. 4 of 2010 changed that: a landlord may now decline to renew at expiry, provided the notice is served. This is the main difference from Dubai. There, Article 25(2) of Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended allows eviction at expiry on four grounds only: demolition, major restoration, the owner's or a first-degree relative's own use, or sale. Each needs 12 months' notice through a Notary Public or registered mail. Dubai runs a different regime, and if you are renewing a tenancy contract in Dubai the 90-day notice for changes under Article 14 applies there.
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When Can a Landlord Evict During the Lease?
A landlord cannot remove a tenant mid-term without one of the grounds in Article 23 of Law 20/2006. The law lists them, with conditions attached to the last two.
| Ground (Article 23) | Condition in the law | Notice or time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Non-payment of rent | Rent unpaid beyond the Article 11 of Law 20/2006 period: 21 days residential, 30 days commercial, unless agreed otherwise. Paying the arrears and the landlord's costs before the decision stops the eviction, once. | Committee decides |
| Assignment or subletting | Without the written permission allowed under Article 17 of Law 20/2006. | Committee decides |
| Overcrowding | More occupants than is generally accepted for the property. | Committee decides |
| Misuse | Use contrary to the contract, harmful to the landlord's interest, or for another purpose. | Committee decides |
| Nuisance | Use harmful to health, disturbing to others, or contrary to public order or morals. | Committee decides |
| Demolition, elevation, addition or alteration | Building more than fifteen years old (for demolition and alteration), permits obtained, work impossible with the tenant in place as confirmed by the committee. Former tenant has priority to re-lease. | Six months to vacate from the date the permits are issued |
| Landlord's own occupation | Landlord owns no other habitable property in the same municipality and lives there for one uninterrupted year. Failure to move in within three months, or re-letting, gives the tenant re-occupation or compensation up to one year's rent. | Six months' notice before expiry |
Source: Law No. 20 of 2006 as amended, Articles 11, 17 and 23, text published by ADREC on DARI, read 16 October 2026. In all cases the committee may grant the tenant a grace period to leave of up to six months.
On the rent side, since 3 June 2026 the annual increase cap is 0 percent until further notice, so a landlord cannot use a rent demand as a way around these grounds. The cap itself is set out in the rent increase law.
How to Issue a Valid Eviction Notice in Abu Dhabi
The law's requirements are short. The notice must be in writing, and for a non-renewal it must reach the tenant two months before expiry (three months for commercial premises). For the landlord's own occupation it is six months before expiry, and for demolition the tenant's six months run from the date the permits are issued (Article 23, Law 20/2006). The law does not prescribe a form or a delivery channel, so the practical standard is a channel that proves the date of delivery: a signed acknowledgement, courier with tracking, registered post or the email used for the tenancy. A WhatsApp message or a verbal mention is hard to prove in front of the committee.
A notice that will stand up should state the names of landlord and tenant as they appear on the Tawtheeq contract and the property address. It must say whether this is a non-renewal at expiry under Article 20 or a request to vacate during the term on a named Article 23 ground, with the facts behind it. It must give the date the tenant is asked to vacate. For non-payment, it must also give the amount outstanding and the due date it relates to.
Before sending anything, confirm the contract is registered in Tawtheeq. Decision No. 25 of 2018 on the committees' procedures applies to leases registered with the municipality, and a registered contract has the status of an executory instrument, as Khaleej Times reported when the procedure took effect in October 2018. An unregistered lease leaves the landlord with no route to enforce the notice.
What Landlords Cannot Do
Law No. 20 of 2006 gives a landlord no right to remove a tenant without the committee. It routes every eviction through the Rental Dispute Settlement Committees, which decide disputes, order interim measures and prosecute a party who contravenes the law (Article 25). Changing the locks, cutting water or electricity, or removing belongings is not a lawful eviction route in Abu Dhabi. If a tenant refuses to leave after a valid notice, the landlord files a case and the Judicial Department enforces the decision.
The Rental Dispute Settlement Committee Process: Step by Step
The committees sit within the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD). Each is formed of a chair judge and two judge members and hears disputes arising from a rental relationship as a matter of urgency, in the ADJD's own words.
- Serve the notice. In writing, within the Article 20 or Article 23 of Law 20/2006 period, by a channel that proves delivery.
- Check Tawtheeq. Only a registered contract can be filed on. If it is not registered, register it first (AED 50 on TAMM).
- File the case. Through the ADJD website, a licensed law firm or a registered typing centre, with the registered contract, proof of ownership, both parties' identification and proof of delivery of the notice. Fees are set under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Fees Law and the ADJD says you are told the amount during registration. Rental cases skip the prior mediation referral that applies to other civil cases.
- Hearing and decision. The committee hears both parties and decides. For non-payment claims under Decision No. 25 of 2018, Khaleej Times reported that committees decide within a minimum of two days and a maximum of three weeks. That clock starts after the tenant has been notified to pay, within 21 days for residential rent or 30 days for commercial rent. Paying within that period withholds execution.
- Enforcement. If the tenant does not pay or leave, execution begins and the tenant receives a physical notice to leave within three days, as reported for the 2018 procedure. The committee may also grant a grace period of up to six months under Article 23 of Law 20/2006.
Under Article 28, Law 20/2006 the committee's decision is final below AED 50,000, appealable within fifteen days up to AED 300,000, and challengeable at the Cassation Committee above that. The 2010 amendment reportedly raised both figures, so confirm them with the ADJD. Its call centre is 600 599 799.
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See how Rent Now, Pay Monthly worksTenant Rights: How to Check a Notice
A tenant in Abu Dhabi cannot be evicted without written notice and a committee decision. If you receive a notice, check three things:
- Timing. Was it delivered at least two months before expiry (three months for commercial premises)? A late notice does not end the lease at the next expiry.
- Ground. If it asks you to leave before expiry, which Article 23 of Law 20/2006 ground does it rely on, and are the conditions met? A demolition notice needs permits and a building more than fifteen years old. An own-occupation notice needs six months and a landlord with no other habitable property in the same municipality.
- Follow-through. A landlord who evicts for own use and then re-lets, or fails to move in within three months, owes you re-occupation or compensation of up to one year's rent. Keep the notice.
If the notice fails any of these, file at the committee yourself with your registered contract, payment records and the written communications. Paying rent on time is the strongest protection: non-payment is the one ground with a fast-track procedure, and a tenant who pays the arrears and costs before the decision avoids eviction, but only once. Eviction is one part of the wider tenancy rules.
FAQs
Can a landlord give you notice for no reason?
In Abu Dhabi, at the end of the term, yes. Since Law No. 4 of 2010 a landlord may decline to renew without stating a reason, provided written notice is served two months before expiry for a residential lease and three months for commercial premises. During the term, no: one of the Article 23 grounds and a committee decision are required.
Can a landlord evict a tenant after the lease expires?
In Abu Dhabi, only if two months' written notice was served before expiry. Without it, a tenant who stays on with the landlord's knowledge and without objection has the lease renewed for a similar term on the same conditions (Article 20(2), Law 20/2006). The landlord must then wait for the next expiry and serve notice properly.
How long notice does a landlord have to give?
In Abu Dhabi, two months before expiry for a home and three months for commercial, industrial or professional premises, in writing. For the landlord's own occupation it is six months before expiry, and for demolition the tenant has six months from the date the permits are issued.
Is a 60 day notice legal?
Abu Dhabi's tenancy law says two months, not 60 days, so a notice served exactly 60 days before expiry can fall short in a 31-day month. Serve it earlier than two months and keep proof of the delivery date. The same two months applies to a tenant who wants to leave at expiry.
How long does it take?
For a non-payment claim at the Abu Dhabi Rental Dispute Settlement Committee, Khaleej Times reported that under Decision No. 25 of 2018 the committee decides within two days to three weeks, after the tenant has been given 21 days (residential) or 30 days (commercial) to pay. Other grounds go through a full hearing, and the committee may give the tenant up to six months to leave. Appeals add fifteen days at the first stage and thirty at the second.
Can I raise a complaint?
Yes. Either party can file at the Rental Dispute Settlement Committee through the ADJD website, a law firm or a typing centre, as long as the contract is registered in Tawtheeq. A landlord ignoring the 0 percent rent cap can also be reported to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre.
Before You Serve or Receive a Notice
Abu Dhabi gives landlords more room than Dubai at the end of a lease, and tenants more protection during it. The rules only work for the party that keeps to them: contract on Tawtheeq, notice in writing and on time, and disputes inside the Judicial Department. The dates run on the renewal calendar, so diarise them. This article is general information, not legal advice.
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Apply to pay rent monthlySources
- Law No. 20 of 2006 as amended, text published by ADREC on DARI (Articles 11, 17, 20, 23, 25, 28)
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department: Rental Dispute Settlement Committees (composition, contact details)
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department: FAQs (fees, registration channels, mediation exemption)
- Khaleej Times, 23 October 2018 (Decision No. 25 of 2018: registered contracts, 21 and 30 day notice to pay, two days to three weeks, three-day notice to leave)
- ADREC: Temporary update to the annual rental cap increase, 3 June 2026 (0 percent cap)
- TAMM: Register a New Lease Contract (AED 50 fee)
- Dubai Law No. 33 of 2008 amending Law No. 26 of 2007 (Articles 14 and 25(2))
- Mondaq: Tenancy Law of Abu Dhabi and its amendments, October 2019 (Law No. 4 of 2010)
