Renting a Home in Dubai and Registering Ejari

Who runs this process

Before you start

• A valid passport, and an Emirates ID or a residence visa application in progress. Landlords and agents in Dubai will ask for both before they hold a unit
• Funds available for more than the rent itself: the security deposit, the agency commission, the Ejari fee, and the DEWA deposit are all payable around the same week
• A UAE bank account if you plan to pay by cheque. Post-dated cheques are still the normal instrument for rent in Dubai
• A decision on the area and property type, because the rental index compares your rent to similar units in the same location

The journey

Each step is marked by who acts: YouEmployerYou + employer Steps on the highlighted spine sit inside the 90-day window.

1. 1
   YouDubai Land Department / Dubai REST

   Check the asking rent against the DLD rental index

   Do this before you view, not after you have fallen for a unit

   Dubai publishes an official rental index that the law itself points to. Decree No. 43 of 2013 sets the maximum rent increase at renewal on a sliding scale measured against the average rental value of similar units: no increase where your rent is up to 10 percent below the average, 5 percent where it is 11 to 20 percent below, 10 percent where it is 21 to 30 percent below, 15 percent where it is 31 to 40 percent below, and 20 percent where it is more than 40 percent below. Article 3 of that decree says the average is taken from the Rent Index approved by RERA. DLD replaced the old index with the Smart Rental Index on 2 January 2025, which grades each building on its condition, finishes, location, and services before pricing it. Two things follow. The caps bite at renewal, not on a first contract, so an opening rent is whatever the market bears. And a unit priced far above the index for its building is a renewal argument you are handing to the landlord in advance.

   You get

   A defensible view of what the unit should cost · The renewal position you will be in twelve months from now

   Typical time

   under an hour (indicative, confirm on the portal)

   Watch out for

   • Assuming the caps stop a landlord asking for more on a brand new contract. They do not. They govern increases at renewal
   • Reading a portal listing as evidence of market rent. The decree points at the RERA index, and that is what a tribunal looks at
   • Ignoring the building grade. Under the Smart Rental Index two towers on the same street can sit in different bands

   Free Zone: Article 2 of Decree No. 43 of 2013 applies the increase caps to landlords in special development zones and free zones, including the Dubai International Financial Centre. Free zone does not mean uncapped rent.

   Renewal: This is the step that decides a renewal. Compare the proposed rent against the index before you reply to a renewal notice, not after you sign.

   Full guide: Check the asking rent against the DLD rental index

2. 2
   YouDLD licensed brokers register

   Verify the landlord and the broker before any money moves

   Brokers operating in Dubai must be licensed and registered, and DLD publishes the register of licensed brokers and broker offices so you can check the person in front of you. Ask who the registered owner is and confirm that the person signing is either the owner or holds a power of attorney to lease on the owner's behalf. Law No. 26 of 2007 defines the Landlord to include an agent or legal representative, so an agent can sign, but you need to see the authority. Pay rent and deposit to the landlord or to the licensed brokerage company account, never in cash to an individual with no paper trail.

   You get

   Confirmation the broker is licensed · Confirmation the signatory can legally lease the unit

   Typical time

   same day (indicative, confirm on the portal)

   Fee

   Fee varies, confirm at the official portal · paid by you (Agency commission is not fixed by the tenancy law. The Dubai market convention is 5 percent of the annual rent plus VAT, and it should be agreed in writing before you commit)

   Watch out for

   • Paying a holding deposit before you have seen the title deed or the leasing authority
   • Transferring rent to a personal account of someone who is neither the owner nor the licensed brokerage
   • Accepting a contract from a broker who is not in the DLD register. If it goes wrong later, you have no regulated counterparty

   Full guide: Verify the landlord and the broker before any money moves

3. 3
   You + employerLandlord, brokerage, or property manager

   Sign the Unified Tenancy Contract and hand over the cheques

   Landlord or agent prepares it, you both sign

   Ejari registration runs off the Unified Tenancy Contract, the standard DLD form, so that is the document to sign. Article 4 of the tenancy law requires the contract to describe the property so there is no room for uncertainty, and to state the purpose of the lease, the owner's name, the term, the rent, and the payment method. Two defaults in the law are worth knowing before you negotiate. Article 12 says that where the payment dates are not agreed, rent is payable annually in four equal instalments in advance, which is where the four-cheque convention comes from. Article 11 says that unless you agree otherwise, the rent covers use of amenities such as the pool, gym, playgrounds, and parking. Article 20 allows the landlord to take a security deposit against maintenance and requires it to be refunded, or what is left of it, at the end of the contract.

   You get

   A signed Unified Tenancy Contract · Cheque receipts or a payment record

   Typical time

   same day once terms are agreed (indicative, confirm on the portal)

   Fee

   Fee varies, confirm at the official portal · paid by you (Article 20 permits a security deposit but sets no amount. The Dubai convention is around 5 percent of annual rent unfurnished and 10 percent furnished, refundable at the end of the contract)

   Deadline

   A rent cheque returned unpaid for insufficient funds is treated by Federal Decree-Law No. 50 of 2022, Article 667, as an executive document, and the holder can go straight to compulsory execution without first winning a case.

   Watch out for

   • Signing a non-standard contract. Ejari registration runs on the Unified Tenancy Contract, so a bespoke document creates a second round of paperwork
   • Letting the contract stay silent on early termination. Article 7 blocks unilateral termination, so silence means no exit
   • Treating post-dated cheques as informal. Under Article 667 a bounced cheque is enforceable directly through execution
   • Agreeing to pay separately for amenities the rent already covers under Article 11

   New Tenancy: Article 7 says a valid lease cannot be terminated unilaterally by either side during its term. It ends by mutual consent or under the law, so an early-exit clause has to be written into the contract you are signing now.

   Villa: Agree in writing who maintains the garden, the pool, and the air-conditioning plant. Article 16 puts maintenance on the landlord unless the parties agree otherwise, and villa contracts are where that gets reversed.

   Full guide: Sign the Unified Tenancy Contract and hand over the cheques

4. 4
   You + employerEjari via Dubai REST app, DLD website, or a Real Estate Services Trustee center

   Register the contract in Ejari

   Either party can file it. In practice the agent or property manager does, or you do it yourself in the app

   Article 4 of the tenancy law requires every lease contract governed by the law, and any amendment to it, to be registered with RERA. Ejari is that registration. Through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website the fee is AED 177.75 in total: AED 100 registration, AED 10 knowledge fee, AED 10 innovation fee, AED 55 service partner fee, and AED 2.75 VAT on the partner fee. Through a Real Estate Services Trustee center the partner fee is AED 95 plus VAT and the total is AED 220. The app route is instant and needs only a copy of the Unified Tenancy Contract; the trustee route takes about seven minutes at the counter and wants the original contract plus your Emirates ID. What you receive is the e-Contract Registration Certificate, and the rest of your Dubai life keys off it.

   You get

   Ejari e-Contract Registration Certificate · An Ejari number that DEWA, RDC, and immigration all recognize

   Typical time

   instant via the app, about 7 minutes at a trustee center

   Fee

   AED 178 · paid by you (Total via the Dubai REST app or the DLD website. At a Real Estate Services Trustee center the total is AED 220. Renewal is registered the same way)

   Watch out for

   • Leaving it to the landlord and never checking. Ask for the certificate and confirm the number resolves
   • A mismatch between the contract and the Ejari record. The rent, term, and unit on the certificate are what the system believes
   • Assuming you can file it at a trustee center when the property is managed by a company with Ejari system access. In that case the manager files it

   Free Zone: Some free zone communities register tenancies through their own authority rather than Ejari, and DEWA treats those premises as exempt from Ejari. Ask the community management which register applies before you assume Ejari is the route.

   Renewal: A renewal is registered through the same service and at the same fee. An unregistered renewal leaves you holding a contract the system cannot see.

   Full guide: Register the contract in Ejari

5. 5
   YouDEWA website, DEWA Smart App, or Dubai Now

   Activate electricity and water with DEWA

   DEWA has wired its move-in service directly into Ejari. When the Ejari certificate is issued, DEWA receives your details automatically, opens the account, and sends a welcome email and SMS with your account number, the security deposit amount, and a payment link. You do not file a separate application for a standard Ejari-registered lease. The refundable security deposit is AED 2,000 for an apartment and AED 4,000 for a villa. Activation charges are AED 130 in total for a small-meter home: AED 100 for connecting electricity and water, plus AED 10 registration, AED 10 knowledge fee, and AED 10 innovation fee. Supply is connected within 15 working hours of the deposit being paid. If nothing arrives in that time, DEWA's own guidance is to call 04 601 9999.

   You get

   An active DEWA account · Electricity and water connected within 15 working hours

   Typical time

   connected within 15 working hours of payment

   Fee

   AED 130 · paid by you (Activation charges. On top sits a refundable security deposit of AED 2,000 for an apartment or AED 4,000 for a villa. Large-meter premises pay AED 300 connection instead of AED 100, and Thukher and Sanad cardholders get 50 percent off activation charges)

   Watch out for

   • Waiting for a form to fill in. For an Ejari-registered lease DEWA moves first, and the welcome email is the trigger
   • Missing the 9-digit premises number, which is displayed on the door of the unit and is what DEWA matches you to
   • Forgetting the deposit is refundable but held until you close the account properly on the way out
   • Assuming a landlord's existing account carries over. Deposits for owner accounts are only refunded when the property is sold

   Villa: The refundable DEWA security deposit is AED 4,000 for a villa against AED 2,000 for an apartment, so budget the difference at move-in.

   Free Zone: Tenants in free zone premises that are exempt from Ejari apply for the move-in themselves through the DEWA website or app and pay the deposit there. The automatic Ejari trigger does not fire.

   Full guide: Activate electricity and water with DEWA

6. 6
   YouBuilding management, utility providers, and GDRFA

   Move in and connect everything the lease unlocks

   Most Dubai buildings require a move-in permit or an NOC from the management company before the lift can be booked, and they will ask for the Ejari certificate and proof that DEWA is active. District cooling, gas, and internet are separate accounts opened in your name. The registered tenancy is also the accommodation proof used when you sponsor a spouse or children for residence, which is why the Ejari certificate matters well beyond the front door. On the cost side, Article 22 of the tenancy law puts the fees and taxes due to government entities for use of the property on the tenant unless the contract says otherwise, and in Dubai the municipality housing fee is billed monthly through DEWA rather than invoiced separately.

   You get

   Move-in permit from building management · Cooling, gas, and internet accounts in your name · Accommodation proof for family sponsorship

   Typical time

   a few days around handover (indicative, confirm on the portal)

   Fee

   Fee varies, confirm at the official portal · paid by you (Dubai's municipality housing fee is widely applied at 5 percent of annual rent and collected in monthly instalments on the DEWA bill, but no official Dubai Municipality page confirming the rate was reachable, so treat the percentage as indicative and check your first DEWA bill. District cooling charges are set by the provider, not by the tenancy law)

   Watch out for

   • Booking movers before the building has issued the move-in permit
   • Sharing or partitioning the unit informally. Unpermitted partitions are a real enforcement risk and can breach the lease
   • Not photographing the unit's condition at handover. Article 21 requires you to return it in the condition you received it, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and photos are the evidence

   Free Zone: Free zone communities such as DIFC and the master-planned districts run their own move-in permits and often their own cooling providers. Ask community management, not the landlord.

   Apartment: Apartment towers usually restrict move-in to specific hours and require a refundable deposit with the management company against lift and lobby damage. That deposit is separate from the one your landlord holds.

   Full guide: Move in and connect everything the lease unlocks

7. 7
   You + employerRental Disputes Center

   Know the notice periods before you need them

   Two clocks govern the end of a Dubai tenancy and they are different lengths. Under Article 14, a party that wants to change any term of the contract, including the rent, must give the other at least ninety days notice before expiry unless the parties agreed otherwise. Under Article 25(2), a landlord seeking eviction at the end of the contract, whether for demolition, major works, personal use by the owner or a first-degree relative, or a sale, must serve at least twelve months notice through a Notary Public or by registered mail. Article 6 says that if your term ends and you stay on without objection, the lease renews on the same terms for the same period or one year, whichever is shorter. Article 26 bars a landlord who evicted you for personal use from re-letting to someone else for two years for a home, or three years for commercial premises, and Article 29 gives you a right of first refusal to return where the property was demolished and rebuilt, to be exercised within thirty days of being notified.

   You get

   A renewal on terms you can check against the index · Grounds to challenge a late or invalid notice

   Fee

   Fee varies, confirm at the official portal · paid by you (The Rental Disputes Center charges 3.5 percent of the annual rent or lease value on eviction, renewal, rent, termination and return claims, not less than AED 500 and not more than AED 20,000, plus AED 100 process service and AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees. Half the fee is refunded if conciliation produces a settlement. A percentage cannot be stored as a fixed amount in this system, so confirm the current schedule at rdc.gov.ae)

   Deadline

   Ninety days before expiry to change any lease term under Article 14; twelve months notarized or registered-mail notice for eviction at expiry under Article 25(2).

   Watch out for

   • Repeating the old rule that rent cannot rise for two years. That sentence was in Article 9 of the 2007 law and was superseded by Law No. 33 of 2008. The current control is the index and the Decree No. 43 of 2013 brackets
   • Repeating the old rule that no authority may hear a dispute on an unregistered lease. That sentence was also in the superseded 2007 text. Registration is still required under Article 4, and the Rental Disputes Center lists a copy of the latest Ejari as a required document, so an unregistered lease still leaves you stuck
   • Accepting a twelve-month eviction notice served by WhatsApp or email. Article 25(2) requires a Notary Public or registered mail
   • Reading a twelve-month eviction notice as an instruction to leave early. It sets the earliest date, not a deadline to move

   Renewal: If no notice comes and you stay on, Article 6 renews the contract on the same terms for the same period or one year, whichever is shorter. Silence favours the sitting tenant.

   Free Zone: The rent-increase caps in Decree No. 43 of 2013 reach free zones and the DIFC by Article 2, but the forum for a dispute may differ. DIFC has its own courts.

   Full guide: Know the notice periods before you need them

Documents checklist

Where this goes wrong

What comes next

• Check whether a proposed rent increase is legal
• Understand your rights as a tenant under RERA
• Get the security deposit back at the end of the lease
• Cancel Ejari when you move out
• Know what the landlord must maintain
• Keep the annual renewal calendar straight