Can you sublease an apartment in Dubai?

Often people have difficulty in paying their rent so subletting may seem like a good option, however, is it even legal to do this in Dubai?

The law is very clear on this

Here is the law

The law states that an apartment cannot be sublet to a third party without prior written approval from the landlord.

What happens if you do sublet?

If you do sublet without your landlord's prior agreement, then they can request you vacate your property even if it is before the expiry of the lease term. They would need to do this with a written notice through notary public or registered post.

In the case of the eviction, this applies to both the tenant and sub tenant.

There is another layer to this however. The sub tenant can pursue a claim of compensation against the tenant. So it is really important to do this the correct way if you do take the subleasing route.

What other option is there?

Before you consider subleasing there is another option that you can pursue. Have a conversation with your landlord and try and work out a deal. They may agree to payment terms, or even let you out of your lease early. You’ll be surprised as to how understanding some landlords can be.

You can watch a video that I made on this topic here

What is your experience? Have you ever been in this situation? What did you do? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading.