Dubai Rent Increase Dispute: How Tenants Can Use ‘Offer and Deposit’ With the RDC
By Thasmiya
If your Dubai landlord proposes a rent increase you dispute — and then refuses to accept the rent you are offering — simply holding onto the money could put you in a difficult position.
Dubai’s Rental Disputes Center (RDC) provides an official procedure called **“Offer and Deposit”**, allowing tenants to formally offer the rent through the RDC while the wider rental disagreement remains unresolved.
Importantly, using this service **does not automatically mean the tenant has won the rent dispute** or that the proposed increase has been ruled invalid.
## **What is ‘Offer and Deposit’?**
Offer and Deposit is an RDC service that allows a customer to request an order from the Provisional and Summary Actions Judge to formally offer **rent or property keys to the landlord**, without deciding the parties’ wider tenancy rights.
For example, imagine your tenancy is approaching renewal and you dispute the landlord’s proposed increase.
You offer the rent you believe is payable, but the landlord refuses to accept your cheques.
Rather than simply keeping the money and potentially facing an allegation of non-payment, you can apply through the RDC to formally offer and deposit the rent.
The RDC’s own FAQ states that when a landlord refuses rental payment, the tenant should follow the prescribed Offer and Deposit procedure and deposit the rent into the RDC treasury. Once the judge accepts the request, the tenant is regarded as having fulfilled the rent-payment obligation from the date of acceptance.
## **When can tenants use it?**
The procedure can be particularly relevant when:
A landlord refuses to accept rent during a renewal disagreement.
A tenant wants to demonstrate that they remain ready and willing to meet their rental obligations while a dispute continues.
A landlord refuses to receive the keys when the tenant is surrendering the property.
The procedure provides a formal record rather than leaving the tenant dependent only on emails, WhatsApp conversations or verbal discussions.
## **How to apply for Offer and Deposit online**
Tenants can submit an application through the official Rental Disputes Center website.
Create or sign in to your RDC account and select the **Register an Offer and Deposit** service.
Enter the requested tenancy and personal information.
Upload all required documents.
Pay the applicable service fees after electronic verification.
The request is then considered by the judge, and the decision is made available through the RDC website.
The RDC lists the registration processing time as **one business day**, although that should not be interpreted as a guarantee that the entire underlying rental dispute will be resolved within one day.
## **What documents do you need?**
According to the RDC, applicants should prepare an **Offer and Deposit motion**, Emirates ID, the latest signed lease and a copy of the proposed new lease on the same terms and conditions.
Copies of the cheques being offered should also be submitted, together with correspondence between the landlord and tenant where available.
For a company, the latest commercial licence and the Emirates ID of the manager named on that licence are required.
All documents must be submitted in Arabic or be **legally translated into Arabic**. The RDC says documents are uploaded electronically and hard copies are not accepted for the online process.
## **Keep proof that you tried to pay**
Tenants should keep a clear written record of their attempts to pay the rent.
That could include emails, WhatsApp messages, notices and other correspondence showing the amount offered, when it was offered and the landlord’s response.
Copies of cheques and any correspondence are specifically included among the RDC’s published supporting documents for the service.
A verbal conversation alone can be much harder to establish later if the disagreement develops into a formal rental case.
## **How much does Offer and Deposit cost?**
The RDC currently lists the following charges:
**AED 50** — Offer and Deposit fee.
**AED 10** — Knowledge fee.
**AED 10** — Innovation fee.
That brings the basic RDC fees to **AED 70**.
If the application is registered through a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre, an additional **AED 130 plus VAT on the partner service fee** applies.
Payment options include Noqodi and debit or credit cards online, while cash is available through Real Estate Service Centres.
## **What happens if the judge accepts the request?**
Approval is important because simply submitting the application does not mean the rent has automatically been legally deposited.
Once the judge approves the request, the applicant must follow the order and complete the required deposit procedure.
The RDC then holds the rental payment for the landlord and notifies the landlord through its formal process.
Tenants should keep both the judge’s decision and evidence that the actual deposit was completed.
## **Does this mean your landlord cannot increase the rent?**
**No.**
This is one of the most important things for Dubai tenants to understand.
Offer and Deposit does **not itself determine whether a proposed rent increase is lawful**. It also does not automatically renew the tenancy at the tenant’s preferred rental amount.
The RDC describes the service as operating “without prejudice to the leasehold rights,” meaning the broader rights and arguments of both parties remain open.
If the disagreement over the increase continues, the parties may need to pursue conciliation or an appropriate rental case through the RDC.
## **Can tenants stop paying while the dispute continues?**
No.
A disagreement with your landlord should not be treated as a rent holiday.
The Offer and Deposit mechanism exists precisely so a tenant can continue demonstrating compliance with rental obligations even when the landlord refuses to accept the offered payment.
Tenants should continue meeting obligations as they fall due and maintain records of payments, offers and RDC proceedings.
## **What if the dispute still cannot be resolved?**
The RDC provides an **amicable settlement** process designed to help landlords and tenants reach a legally recognised agreement without proceeding through the full litigation process.
If settlement is reached, the agreement is signed by the parties and conciliator and approved by a supervising judge, after which it can be enforced through the RDC.
Where necessary, tenants or landlords can also register a First Instance rental lawsuit. The fees and requirements for a full rental case are substantially different from the AED 70 basic Offer and Deposit service.
## **What if the Offer and Deposit decision goes against you?**
The RDC also provides a grievance procedure for decisions involving Offer and Deposit.
A grievance must be filed **within eight days from the issuance of the decision**. The RDC currently lists a AED 100 process-service fee plus applicable Knowledge, Innovation and trustee-service charges.
## **A simple example**
Suppose your annual Dubai rent is AED 70,000.
Your landlord asks for a higher amount at renewal, but you dispute the increase. You tell the landlord in writing that you are prepared to renew and provide cheques for the amount you believe is payable.
The landlord refuses to accept them.
Instead of doing nothing, you can submit an Offer and Deposit request with the relevant lease documents, cheques and correspondence.
If the judge approves the request, you follow the RDC instructions and complete the deposit.
The important distinction is that this can establish payment of the rent covered by the accepted deposit — **it does not automatically decide whether AED 70,000 or the landlord’s proposed amount is the correct renewal rent**.
## **Why this matters**
A landlord refusing your rent does not mean you should simply stop paying.
Dubai’s Offer and Deposit procedure gives tenants a formal route to demonstrate that they are willing to meet their rental obligations while preserving the wider dispute for proper resolution.
The key is to act early, keep everything in writing, prepare the correct documentation and complete the deposit after receiving the judge’s approval.
For case-specific questions, tenants can contact the RDC on **800 4484** or use its official online enquiry channels.
## Related Reads - [Etihad Rail Dubai–Abu Dhabi Service Starts September 30: Here’s How to Book](/post/etihad-rail-dubaiabu-dhabi-service-starts-september-30) - [Dubai Fountain Shows Suspended Until Further Notice: What Visitors Need to Know](/post/dubai-fountain-shows-suspended-until-further-notice-visitors) - [Why Snapchat Is Still Popular Among UAE Youth in 2026](/post/snapchat-still-popular-among-uae-youth-2026) - [Facebook and Instagram Recover After Outage Hits Thousands of Users](/post/facebook-instagram-recover-after-outage-hits-thousands-users) - [More stories like this](/category/lifestyle)