Dubai's Rental Disputes Centre has set out a principle that a signed lease is not always final. If one side is shown to have hidden or misrepresented important facts, the other can ask for the contract to be annulled before the tenancy begins.
The centre announced the ruling on 29 October. It came from its appeal body, the General Authority, after the original claim had been turned down at first instance.
01The case
A landlord agreed to let his property to a company. Before handing over the keys, he found that the company had a history of court cases and judgments for unpaid rent on other properties it had leased and then sublet.
Arrest and bring-in orders had also been issued against the company's manager in cases involving unpaid rent, bounced cheques and late payments. None of this had been disclosed when the lease was signed.
The General Authority found that these facts amounted to deception under the UAE Civil Transactions Law, citing Articles 170, 171 and 173. It annulled the lease and returned both parties to where they stood before signing.
02What the ruling does and does not allow
| Question | What the centre said |
|---|---|
| Who can ask for annulment? | Either the landlord or the tenant |
| When? | Before the tenancy starts |
| On what grounds? | Deception proven under the Civil Transactions Law: important information withheld or misrepresented |
| Is a change of mind enough? | No |
| Do past disputes prove deception on their own? | No; deception has to be established in each case |
Rental Disputes Centre ruling, as reported by Khaleej Times and Gulf News on 29 October 2026.
03A free check before you sign
The centre pointed both sides to its Rental Good Conduct Certificate, a free service in the Dubai REST app. It shows whether a person or company has been involved in rental cases or judgments.
Landlords can use it to check a prospective tenant. Tenants can use it to check a landlord or whoever is offering the property.
04What it means if you are buying to let
Check your tenant first. If you are buying an off-plan home to rent out on handover, run the good conduct check before you sign a lease, especially with a company tenant that may sublet. It costs nothing and takes minutes.
The window is short. The ruling covers leases that have been signed but not yet started. Once a tenant has moved in, the usual rules on rent, notice and eviction apply.
Disclose honestly yourself. The principle works both ways. Landlords who misdescribe a property or leave out facts that matter to the tenant can face the same outcome.
For more on how the centre works, read Dubai rental disputes settled in six days on average and our story on Dubai's shared housing law.
SourcesWhere this story comes from.
Sources
- Khaleej Times: Deception in your lease? Dubai's new rule could annul your contract, 29 October 2026
- Gulf News: Dubai rental contracts can be cancelled over deception, 29 October 2026
Corrections
- No corrections to this story. If something has changed or is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and log the change here.
29 Oct 2026, 21:32 GST · Reported by OffPlan Insider Newsdesk, checked against the developer's own material before publication.
