Can Hotels in the UAE Be Held Legally Responsible for Cash and Valuables Stolen from Room Safes? Understanding Your Rights

Guests staying in hotels across the UAE often rely on in-room safes to store cash, jewellery, important documents and other valuables during their stay. However, if money or valuable items go missing from a room safe, the hotel is not automatically responsible for compensating the guest. Instead, liability is governed by the provisions of the UAE Civil Transactions Law, which clearly defines the circumstances in which a hotel proprietor may be required to reimburse a guest for any loss.

Under Article 928 of the UAE Civil Transactions Law, Federal Decree-Law No. (25) of 2025, a hotel proprietor is generally not liable for the loss of money, negotiable instruments or other valuable items kept by guests unless one of the specific legal conditions is satisfied.

The first situation arises where the hotel has expressly accepted the guest's valuables for safekeeping. In such cases, the hotel assumes responsibility for protecting those items and may be held liable if they are subsequently lost, damaged or stolen.

Liability may also arise where the hotel has unreasonably refused to accept valuables for safekeeping despite a guest's request. In addition, a hotel can be held responsible if the loss or theft occurred because of the fault, negligence or wrongful act of the hotel proprietor or any of its employees.

Merely discovering that cash has disappeared from a room safe does not, by itself, entitle a guest to compensation. The burden remains on the guest to establish that the hotel falls within one of the situations recognised by law. Whether liability exists will ultimately depend on the evidence presented, including the circumstances surrounding the theft and any proof of negligence or failure on the part of the hotel.

The law also places important obligations on guests. Article 929 requires a guest to notify the hotel proprietor or the person in charge immediately after discovering any theft, loss or damage. Failure to report the incident without justified reason may result in the guest losing the legal right to seek compensation.

In addition, any legal claim against the hotel proprietor must be brought within six months from the date the guest leaves the hotel. Claims filed after this statutory period will not be heard by the court.

As a result, guests seeking compensation for money stolen from a hotel room safe must not only report the incident without delay but also demonstrate that the hotel bears legal responsibility under the conditions prescribed by the UAE Civil Transactions Law. Where these requirements are met, the court will determine the extent of compensation based on the evidence presented in each individual case.

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