Rental Disputes Committee (RDSC)

The Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC) in Dubai is the specialised judicial body that adjudicates landlord-tenant disputes — including non-payment of rent, eviction, rent increases outside the RERA index, disputes over security deposits, and claims for repairs and maintenance. Established by Dubai Law No. 26 of 2013, it combines first-instance and appellate chambers and has its own execution section. Filing is done electronically, requires the Ejari-registered contract and supporting evidence, and court fees are a percentage of the annual rent. Most disputes are resolved within a few months. Decisions of the first-instance chamber can be appealed to the appellate chamber, whose judgments are generally final except where cassation is available for limited legal grounds. Other emirates have their own rental committees or use the ordinary civil courts.