What happens if I stay in the apartment after my eviction notice expires in Dubai?

Nothing happens automatically on the day the notice expires — your colleague is right that the landlord must file an eviction case at Dubai's Rental Disputes Centre (RDC) to actually remove you, and that takes time. Until a judgment exists, you are an occupant whose notice has run out, not a lawbreaker, and no fines accrue simply because you stayed. That said, do not mistake breathing room for safety. If the twelve-month notice was validly served and the landlord proves a lawful ground, the RDC will likely order you to vacate, possibly with costs, and the judgment then goes to execution — meaning a forced exit date if you still have not left. Judges sometimes allow a short period to move out, especially for tenants who kept paying rent and engaged in good faith, but that is discretionary, not a right. So keep paying rent on time, since stopping would hand the landlord a second and faster ground, keep written records, and consider proposing an agreed extension of a month or two in exchange for a confirmed exit date — many landlords prefer certainty to litigation. A Dubai-licensed tenancy lawyer can tell you how a judge is likely to view your particular notice and timeline.