Filing an RDC Case: The Process, the Fees, and Your Real Rights
9 min readUpdated 18 September 2026Article 5 of 6
A Petition Order costs AED 20 and typically resolves within a business day for cut utilities or a lockout, while a standard RDC case costs 3.5% of annual rent and takes weeks to months. Why a dated video walkthrough decides most deposit disputes, and why subletting without a written NOC can get both tenant and subtenant evicted.
What this article covers
- 01The RDC Won't Even Look at Your Case Without This One Document
- 02Filing Is Genuinely Fast. The Waiting Afterward Is the Real Timeline
- 03What the Landlord Owes You During the Tenancy
- 04Getting Your Deposit Back Comes Down to What You Can Prove
- 05Subletting Without a Written NOC Can Get You Both Evicted
- 06Running a Business or Listing on Airbnb From a Residential Unit Both Need a Separate Licence
The 6 sections above, in full
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Sources (3)
- Dubai Land Department / Rental Disputes Center: case filing process, fees, mediation and appeal timelines
- UAE Government (Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008): tenancy law, subletting and eviction provisions
- Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET): Holiday Home Permit requirements