If you rent — or are about to rent — a residential unit on Al Maryah Island or Al Reem Island, you are protected by the ADGM Real Property Regulations 2024 (RPR 2024). Those protections are detailed, precise, and enforceable through the ADGM Courts. This article sets them out section by section so you know exactly where you stand before you sign, during your tenancy, and if a dispute arises.
The 5 most important protections at a glance
- Deposit capped at 5% of annual rent — held on trust, returned within 21 days of expiry, fair wear-and-tear never deductible (s.53).
- Rent increase capped at 5% on renewal — zero increase during the term unless explicitly in the lease; 90 days' written notice required (ss.55(2), 61).
- Landlord cannot cut utilities — electricity, water, gas, internet — no matter what (s.59(4)).
- Eviction requires court order or a specific s.62 ground — non-payment: 21-day notice first; material breach: 30-day notice + opportunity to cure (ss.62–63).
- Landlord maintains the structure, AC, MEP and all services — urgent repairs under AED 5,000 you can do yourself and reclaim (s.56).
Does the RPR 2024 apply to your lease?
The RPR 2024 governs any Short-Term Residential Lease (STRL), defined in section 182 as a residential lease with a term of more than 6 months and less than 4 years. Leases of 6 months or less, and leases of 4 years or more, fall under different parts of the RPR 2024. If your tenancy is an STRL, every protection in this article applies in full.
The ADGM Area covers Al Maryah Island (the original ADGM territory) and, from 1 January 2025, Al Reem Island. If your property is on either island and your lease is an STRL, you are covered — regardless of whether the lease itself mentions ADGM law.
Before you sign — what your lease must contain
Section 52 requires every STRL to be in writing and to comply with prescribed form requirements. The key obligations:
- Condition report (s.52(1)(b)): A written record of the property's condition at commencement must be prepared and agreed by both parties. This document is critical at the end of the tenancy — it establishes the baseline against which "damage beyond fair wear-and-tear" is measured. Insist on it and keep your signed copy.
- Landlord drafts and pays (s.52(2)): The cost of preparing the lease falls on the landlord, not the tenant.
- Clear and concise language: The RPR 2024 requires lease terms to be expressed in plain language. Ambiguous clauses purporting to expand tenant liability or waive mandatory protections are unenforceable.
Practical point: read the lease against the RPR 2024. Any term that contradicts a mandatory protection — for example, a clause allowing a 10% rent increase on renewal — is void. The statutory protection prevails regardless of what the lease says.
Deposits and payments — the detail that matters
Security deposit
Under section 53(1), the maximum security deposit is 5% of the annual rent. If your annual rent is AED 120,000, the landlord cannot demand more than AED 6,000 as a security deposit, regardless of the property value or any custom in the market.
The deposit is not the landlord's money. It must be held on trust (s.53(1)(a)) — meaning it remains your money unless a valid deduction is made. The only permitted deductions are:
- Unpaid rent outstanding at the date of vacation;
- Any breach of the lease by the tenant;
- Damage to the property or its contents beyond fair wear-and-tear;
- Costs for repairs that were the tenant's contractual responsibility but left undone.
What the landlord cannot deduct: Fair wear-and-tear — the gradual, natural deterioration of a property through normal use — is expressly excluded. A scuffed skirting board, faded paintwork, or worn carpet from normal use is not deductible. Neither is damage caused by the landlord's own failure to maintain the property.
The 21-day return rule
Section 53(1)(c) requires the landlord to return the deposit (or the net amount after valid deductions) within 21 days of lease expiry or vacation, whichever is later. The landlord must also provide an itemised statement of any deductions, with supporting evidence for each one. A landlord who holds the deposit beyond 21 days without justification is in breach of the RPR 2024 and can be ordered by the ADGM Courts to return the full amount plus interest.
Reservation deposit
Before a lease is signed, a landlord may request a reservation deposit (s.55(5)). This is capped at 5% of annual rent and must be set off against the first rent payment once the lease is executed. Section 55(6) provides that only one reservation deposit can be held per property at any one time — a landlord cannot collect multiple reservation deposits from different prospective tenants simultaneously.
Rent payment mechanics
Section 55 requires the lease to specify the rent amount, payment method, and frequency. If the lease is silent on these points, the defaults are: market rent (as at the date of the lease), payable monthly in arrears, by bank transfer. Receipts for every rent payment are mandatory under section 55(4), and the landlord must keep records for at least one year after the lease expires. If your landlord refuses to issue receipts, that is itself a breach of the RPR 2024.
Rent increase — the iron rule
This is where the ADGM regime is most protective and most frequently misunderstood.
During the term: no increase at all
Under section 55(2), the rent cannot be increased at any point during the lease term unless the lease itself explicitly states: (a) the amount of the increase, and (b) the exact date or mechanism by which it takes effect. A vague clause such as "rent may be reviewed annually" does not satisfy this requirement. If the lease does not contain a precise uplift provision, the rent is fixed for the entire term.
On renewal: maximum 5%
Section 61 sets the renewal cap: the new rent may not exceed the rent paid in the immediately preceding term by more than 5%. If you paid AED 150,000 in year one, the maximum lawful rent for year two is AED 157,500. A landlord who demands AED 165,000 is demanding an unlawful increase of AED 7,500.
Notice requirement
Any rent increase (or a decision not to renew) must be communicated to the tenant in writing at least 90 days before the expiry date. If the landlord fails to serve notice 90 days in advance, or serves notice of a rent increase exceeding 5%, that increase has no legal effect. The tenant may refuse it, continue in occupation at the existing rent, and — if the landlord attempts to enforce it — apply to the ADGM Courts for a declaration and damages.
Market indices
Section 161(3)(i) empowers the ADGM Board of Directors to publish market rent indices for the ADGM Area. Where such an index has been published, it provides an objective benchmark for challenging any increase — even one below 5% — if the market data shows rents have moved in the opposite direction.
What to do if the landlord demands an invalid increase
Do not simply accept it. Write to the landlord (by email is sufficient, but keep the record) noting the statutory cap and the amount by which the demand exceeds it. Offer to pay the capped amount. If the landlord refuses to accept and threatens termination, seek legal advice immediately — any purported termination for refusal to pay an unlawful increase is itself unlawful, and the ADGM Courts can grant urgent injunctive relief.
Landlord maintenance duties
Section 56 places substantial maintenance obligations on the landlord. These are not optional and cannot be contracted away. The landlord must maintain and keep in good repair:
- The structural elements of the building — foundations, walls, roof, floors;
- The façade, external doors, and windows;
- Air-conditioning and ventilation systems;
- Utility connections and infrastructure (electricity, water, gas, drainage);
- All mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems serving the unit.
The overarching obligation is to keep the property in a condition that is safe and fit for residential use throughout the lease term.
Tenant obligations
The tenant's obligation is narrower: keep the property clean and in the same condition as it was at commencement (by reference to the condition report), with reasonable allowance for fair wear-and-tear. Do not cause damage. Report disrepair to the landlord promptly — delay in reporting can be relevant if the landlord later argues the tenant allowed damage to worsen.
Urgent repairs when the landlord is unreachable
If a repair is urgent — a burst pipe, a failed AC in summer, a broken lock — and the landlord cannot be reached or fails to respond within a reasonable time, the tenant can act:
- Cost AED 5,000 or less: the tenant may carry out the repair and recover the cost from the landlord by deducting it from the next rent payment (or demanding reimbursement).
- Cost over AED 5,000: the tenant must first obtain the landlord's written consent before proceeding. Without that consent, the tenant risks bearing the cost.
Document everything: photographs of the defect, timestamps of messages to the landlord, invoices for any work carried out. This evidence will be decisive if the landlord disputes the deduction.
Utility cutoff — absolute prohibition
Section 59(4) is explicit and unqualified: the landlord cannot interrupt or interfere with the tenant's access to utilities — electricity, water, gas, internet, or any other service connected to the property. This applies even if there is a rent dispute, even if the landlord believes the tenant is in breach, and even if an eviction notice has been served. Cutting utilities is not a lawful enforcement tool. Any landlord who does so is in immediate breach of the RPR 2024 and the ADGM Courts have jurisdiction to restore utilities and award damages on an urgent basis.
Landlord access — prior notice required
Section 57 establishes the rule: the landlord must give the tenant prior written notice before entering the property. The only exception is a genuine emergency (fire, flood, immediate risk to life or structural integrity). Outside an emergency, the permitted grounds for access are:
- Carrying out repairs or maintenance that are the landlord's responsibility;
- Conducting viewings during the last 30 days of the lease term for reletting or resale purposes;
- Facilitating a sale or professional valuation of the property.
Random inspections, unannounced visits, or access to monitor the tenant's use of the property are not permitted. If the landlord enters without notice or justification, that is a breach of the lease and the RPR 2024, and may entitle the tenant to damages for the intrusion.
Service charges
Under section 58, service charges — building management fees, communal area maintenance, owners' association levies — are the landlord's responsibility by default. If the lease purports to pass these to the tenant, the lease must say so expressly. If the landlord fails to pay service charges and the managing entity seeks recovery from the tenant, the tenant may pay the charges to avoid disruption to services and then set off the amount paid against the next rent instalment. Keep receipts.
Eviction — the complete decision tree
Eviction in ADGM is heavily regulated. There is no "no-fault" eviction during an STRL term. The pathways are:
Termination without court order (section 62)
The lease can end before its natural expiry without a court order only in these circumstances:
Mutual surrender (s.49)
Both parties agree in writing to end the lease early. Neither side can be compelled.
Break option in the lease
If the lease contains a contractual break clause, either party may exercise it according to its terms. The break clause must be expressly stated in the lease — it cannot be implied.
Total destruction of the property
If the property is destroyed or rendered wholly uninhabitable by an event beyond either party's control, the lease terminates automatically.
Unremedied landlord breach
If the landlord is in material breach (for example, failing to carry out essential repairs) and has not remedied the breach within 30 days of written notice, the tenant may terminate the lease and vacate without further obligation.
Repair failure rendering property uninhabitable
If the landlord's failure to carry out required repairs has made the property unsafe or uninhabitable, the tenant may vacate and the lease is treated as terminated by the landlord's breach.
Eviction with court order (section 63)
In all other cases, the landlord must obtain an order from the ADGM Courts. The available grounds are:
Non-payment of rent — s.63(a)
The landlord must first serve a written notice giving 21 days to pay the arrears in full. Only if the tenant fails to pay within those 21 days may the landlord apply to the court for possession. A landlord who attempts to terminate for non-payment without serving a valid 21-day notice has no right to possession at that point, and the tenant can raise this as a complete defence.
Material breach — s.63(b)
The landlord must serve written notice specifying the breach and giving the tenant 30 days to remedy it. If the breach is remedied within 30 days, the right to possession is extinguished. Only a breach that is incapable of remedy (or not remedied within 30 days) grounds a court application.
Unauthorised assignment or subletting — s.63(c)
If the tenant has assigned the lease or sublet the property without the landlord's written consent (see s.64(1)(a) below), the landlord must serve 10 days' written notice before applying to court.
Notice requirements for all eviction notices
Every notice served under sections 62 or 63 must (per sections 159 and 160):
- Be in writing;
- Specify the breach clearly and in sufficient detail;
- State the remedy period;
- Be delivered to the address stated in the lease for service of notices.
A notice served after 5 pm, or on a non-business day, is treated as received at the start of the next business day. This means the remedy period starts running from that next business day, not the actual date of delivery. Count carefully.
Relief from forfeiture
Section 50 gives the ADGM Courts power to grant relief from forfeiture — even after a valid ground for termination has arisen. Where the tenant has remedied the breach (paid the arrears, rectified the damage) before or after proceedings are issued, the court can suspend or set aside the termination and reinstate the lease. This is a significant protection for tenants who have fallen behind temporarily through no structural fault.
Deposit return — step by step
- Agree a move-out inspection date with the landlord, ideally at least 5 days before the lease ends. Both parties should attend and sign an updated condition report.
- Compare the move-in condition report (prepared under s.52(1)(b)) with the move-out condition. Note genuine damage versus fair wear-and-tear. Photograph everything.
- Landlord has 21 days from expiry/vacation to return the deposit or serve an itemised deduction schedule with evidence.
- If no schedule is served within 21 days, the full deposit is due immediately. Write to the landlord demanding return by a stated deadline (7 days is reasonable) and confirm that ADGM Court proceedings will follow if not received.
- If a schedule is served, review each deduction against the condition report. Dispute any deductions for fair wear-and-tear or for defects present at move-in. Respond in writing within 14 days specifying the deductions you accept and those you dispute, with reasons.
- If the landlord does not agree, file a claim in the ADGM Courts. The burden of proof for each deduction is on the landlord — they must prove the damage, prove it was caused by you, and prove it exceeds fair wear-and-tear.
What happens if the landlord sells the property
Section 64 protects tenants on a sale. The new owner takes the property subject to the existing lease — your tenancy continues on the same terms, without any need for your consent to the transfer. The security deposit is deemed transferred to the new landlord, who becomes responsible for returning it at the end of the lease. The original landlord's obligations for the period up to the date of transfer are assumed by the buyer. You cannot be evicted simply because the property has changed hands.
Renewal
Under section 60, renewal is by mutual agreement. If both parties agree to renew on terms compliant with the RPR 2024 (including the 5% cap and the 90-day notice), the renewed lease must be registered within 90 days of commencement. Failure to register within 90 days means the lease is treated as a new lease for fee-calculation purposes — which typically results in higher registration fees. Do not let the landlord or agent delay registration past the 90-day window.
Goods left behind after vacation
Section 51 deals with tenant property left at the premises after the end of the lease. The landlord must notify the tenant and allow a reasonable opportunity to collect. After 30 days, the landlord may dispose of any uncollected goods. The landlord cannot hold goods as leverage for unpaid rent — that is not a lawful remedy under the RPR 2024.
Alienation — assignment and subletting
Under section 64(1)(a), a tenant may not mortgage the lease, assign it to another person, or sublet the property (in whole or in part) without the prior written consent of the landlord. The landlord is not obliged to consent, but if consent is given, it should be documented carefully. An unauthorised assignment or subletting exposes the tenant to a 10-day eviction notice and court proceedings under s.63(c). If you need to sublet — for example, because you are relocating temporarily — seek written consent before doing so.
Key deadlines cheat sheet
| Event | Deadline / Period | RPR 2024 Section |
|---|---|---|
| Rent increase notice before renewal | At least 90 days before expiry | s.61 |
| Maximum rent increase on renewal | 5% of prior term rent | ss.55(2), 61 |
| Security deposit cap | 5% of annual rent | s.53(1) |
| Reservation deposit cap | 5% of annual rent | s.55(5) |
| Deposit return after lease end | 21 days | s.53(1)(c) |
| Landlord must keep records post-expiry | At least 1 year | s.55(4) |
| Eviction notice: non-payment of rent | 21 days to pay before court application | s.63(a) |
| Eviction notice: material breach | 30 days to remedy before court application | s.63(b) |
| Eviction notice: unauthorised subletting | 10 days before court application | s.63(c) |
| Landlord-breach entitling tenant to terminate | 30 days unremedied after written notice | s.62 |
| Landlord access for viewings (reletting/sale) | Last 30 days of term only; prior written notice required | s.57 |
| Urgent self-help repairs without consent | AED 5,000 or less only | s.56 |
| Left-behind goods: landlord may dispose | After 30 days | s.51 |
| Lease renewal: registration deadline | Within 90 days of commencement | s.60 |
| After-5pm / non-business day notices | Deemed received next business day | s.160 |
| STRL definition: lease term | More than 6 months, less than 4 years | s.182 |
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. The ADGM Real Property Regulations 2024 are the authoritative source — always consult the regulations and seek independent legal advice for your specific situation. Last updated: 18 May 2026.