RERA Dispute: Arabic vs English Contract — Which Wins?

You have a rental dispute. You pull out your tenancy contract — the bilingual one with Arabic on the right, English on the left. You read the English side. It seems clear. You file at RERA. The ruling goes against you because the Arabic side says something different.

This is not rare. Bilingual contracts in Dubai are drafted by typing centres, property management companies, and sometimes by landlords directly. The two versions are supposed to match. They often don’t.

The Arabic version is the legally binding one

Under UAE law — Article 7 of the Civil Transactions Law — when Arabic and English versions conflict, Arabic prevails. This is a foundational principle of UAE legal proceedings.

RERA’s Rental Dispute Settlement Centre (RDSC) applies this rule consistently. The committee reads the Arabic. If you have been building your case on an English clause that says something different in Arabic, you will lose. What you were told verbally or signed in English does not override the Arabic.

Most tenants who don’t read Arabic never check the Arabic side. They read the English, sign, and assume both versions say the same thing. That assumption holds until a dispute, when money is at stake and the Arabic clause they never read determines the outcome.

Where the discrepancies hide

Most of the contract will match. Rent amount, property address, landlord’s name — these are usually identical. The differences appear in the clauses that matter most during disputes:

Early termination. The English might say either party may terminate with 2 months notice. The Arabic might add that the tenant owes a 2-month penalty for early exit.

Maintenance responsibilities. English says “landlord handles major repairs.” Arabic may define “major” differently — or include a spending threshold before landlord responsibility applies.

Security deposit refund. English may say the deposit is refunded upon vacating. Arabic might add conditions: no outstanding utilities, professional cleaning receipt required, inspection within 7 days.

Rent increase terms. The Arabic may reference specific RERA calculator thresholds or cite Article 9 of Law No. 26 of 2007. The English may omit this entirely or paraphrase it loosely.

These aren’t always deliberate traps. They’re typically the result of one language being drafted first, then loosely translated by someone at a typing centre. The English is often a summary, not an exact mirror.

What RERA’s committee actually examines

When you file at RERA’s Rental Dispute Settlement Centre, the committee reviews:

1. The Arabic contract text — not the English, not your interpretation of it
2. Ejari registration — the tenancy must be registered; an unregistered contract weakens your position
3. The RERA rent calculator — to verify whether any increase was within the legal cap
4. Formal notice correspondence — notices sent by registered mail or notary carry more weight than WhatsApp messages

If you submit arguments based on the English version of a clause that says something different in Arabic, the committee applies the Arabic. Your case collapses at the clause level, not the fact level.

How to spot discrepancies before they cost you

The safest moment to find a problem is before you sign — not during a dispute.

Before signing any contract or renewal, get the Arabic portion independently translated by a certified translator. Not by the landlord’s representative, not by the estate agent, and not by Google Translate. A separate translation takes one day and costs a fraction of what a RERA dispute costs.

Look specifically at:

• Termination clauses (both early termination and end-of-term)
• Maintenance responsibility thresholds
• Security deposit refund conditions and timelines
• Any clause that references penalties or fees
• Rent increase terms and whether they reference the RERA calculator

If anything in the Arabic doesn’t match what you were told in English, ask for it to be corrected before signing. Document the request in writing.

What to do if you’re already in a dispute

If you’re preparing to file at RERA — or responding to a landlord’s claim — get the Arabic section of your contract translated immediately. You need to know what the legally binding text says before you argue your case.

If there’s a discrepancy and you’ve been relying on the English version:

1. Document that the contract was presented as a matching bilingual agreement
2. Get a certified translation showing the Arabic differs from the English
3. If the discrepancy is significant, consult a UAE property lawyer before filing
4. File at RERA with the Arabic translation in hand — argue from the Arabic text, not from the English

Your goal is not to explain what you thought the contract meant. It’s to demonstrate what the Arabic actually says and how it applies to the facts of your dispute.

Abu Dhabi tenancy disputes work differently

Abu Dhabi has its own rental dispute body — the Rental Disputes Settlement Committee under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. The Arabic-prevails principle applies there too, but the framework is different.

Abu Dhabi operates under Law No. 20 of 2006 (amended). Notice periods, eviction rules, and rent increase caps differ from Dubai’s RERA framework. The increase cap calculation and the grace period rules are not the same. If you’re renting in Abu Dhabi, don’t apply Dubai RERA rules — the outcome will be different.

Supporting documents in Arabic

If you’re going to a hearing, your supporting documents also need to be in Arabic or have certified Arabic translations:

• Eviction notices received from your landlord
• Correspondence that forms part of your evidence
• Any written agreements or amendments to the original contract

If you are dealing with the dispute from outside the UAE, authorise someone to represent you at RERA using a Power of Attorney. It must be attested before RERA will accept it.

Need your tenancy contract’s Arabic section translated before your RERA hearing? Send it on WhatsApp: +971 50 862 0217. Same-day service available.