Ejari in Dubai: how to register your tenancy contract

This guide is for tenants and landlords who need to register a tenancy contract in Dubai. It explains what Ejari is, who registers it, what it costs, which documents you need and what happens after the certificate is issued.

Every rule and fee below comes from the Dubai Land Department (DLD), the Dubai legislation portal, the Rental Disputes Center and u.ae. We list the pages at the end. Fees are the ones shown when we checked in October 2026, and they are indicative.

What is Ejari?

Ejari is the DLD system for recording tenancy contracts in Dubai. DLD's tenancy guide describes it as an online programme built by RERA, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, under Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008.

The law is direct about it. Article 4, as amended in 2008, says all lease contracts covered by the law will be registered with RERA. Once a contract is registered, you receive an e-Contract Registration Certificate, which most people simply call “the Ejari”.

Who registers the contract, the landlord or the tenant?

The landlord. Clause 14 of DLD's unified tenancy contract says the landlord undertakes to register the contract on Ejari and provide all the documents. u.ae says the same: in Dubai, landlords must register lease agreements with DLD.

A tenant can start the registration on the Dubai REST app or at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre, but the landlord still has to approve it. If the landlord does not approve within 5 days, DLD cancels the request automatically.

If a licensed property management company manages the unit, the company registers the contract through its own Ejari account. DLD's tenancy guide says trustee centres do not accept registrations from real estate companies.

Why does your tenancy need Ejari?

Registration is a legal requirement, and it is also what other services look for. These are the places it comes up.

• Water and electricity. u.ae says registering the lease is compulsory to connect utility services, and DEWA's connection is linked to DLD.
• Rental disputes. The Rental Disputes Center lists a copy of the latest lease (Ejari) among the documents for a claim.
• Rent increase checks. DLD's rental index lets you search by Ejari contract number when you check the permitted increase at renewal.
• Family members. Co-occupants are recorded against the rented property in the Ejari system and the Dubai REST app.

Where can you register Ejari?

DLD lists four channels for registering or renewing a tenancy contract. Which one you use depends on who manages the property.

• The DLD website (Ejari system): for licensed property management companies, owners who manage their own property, and owners' legal representatives with a power of attorney.
• The Dubai REST app: when the landlord and the tenant are both individuals and the owner's data is up to date.
• A Real Estate Services Trustee Centre: when the property is not managed by a real estate company, or by an owner with Ejari access.
• The Dubai Now app, which DLD also lists as a channel.

How much does Ejari cost?

DLD publishes a fee breakdown for each channel. These are the app and website figures we saw when we checked in October 2026. They are indicative and can change.

Tenancy contract registration

AED 100

Knowledge fee

AED 10

Innovation fee

AED 10

Service partner fee

AED 55

VAT on the partner fee

AED 2.75

Total on the app or website

AED 177.75

At a trustee centre, the registration, knowledge and innovation fees are the same, AED 120 together. The service partner fee there is AED 95 plus VAT, and DLD shows a total of AED 220. DLD's FAQ gives the same breakdown for renewals. Creating an Ejari user account is free.

DLD accepts payment by credit card, cash or Noqodi wallet. Payment questions go to Noqodi customer support.

Documents to have ready

What you need depends on the channel. DLD lists these documents for registration and renewal.

Dubai REST app

A copy of the unified tenancy contract

Trustee centre

The original unified tenancy contract and the applicant's Emirates ID

Applying for someone else

An official power of attorney

Power of attorney issued in Dubai

Enter its number; no attachment needed

Power of attorney from another emirate

Attach the document

DLD's FAQ says contracts are registered with the UAE ID, not a passport. Embassies and consulates are the exception, and GCC nationals without a UAE ID can use passport details. Any registration missed in an earlier year has to be settled before the current contract can be registered.

How to register Ejari on the Dubai REST app

DLD sets out the online steps in this order. The Ejari system on the DLD website follows the same order.

1. Log in to the Dubai REST app or the Ejari system and choose the service to register or renew a tenancy contract.
2. Enter the contract details and upload the documents asked for.
3. Pay the fees.
4. A DLD employee reviews and approves the request. If the tenant started it, the landlord must approve within 5 days.
5. Receive the e-Contract Registration Certificate by email.

At a trustee centre, you hand over the original documents, an employee checks and approves them, and you pay and receive the certificate. DLD gives a service time of 25 minutes there, not counting waiting time. It does not state a time for the online channels.

What happens after Ejari is issued: DEWA and the housing fee

Electricity and water connection in Dubai is linked to DLD. u.ae says that after Ejari is issued, DEWA sends the customer a welcome email with the new account number, the security deposit details and a payment link.

Tenants also pay a housing fee to Dubai Municipality of 5% of the yearly rent. It is added to the monthly DEWA bills. DLD's FAQ notes that it appears separately from the 5% VAT.

Worked example. On a contract of AED 100,000 a year, the housing fee is 5% of AED 100,000, which is AED 5,000 a year, or about AED 417 a month on the DEWA bills. Registering the contract on the app costs AED 177.75 when we checked in October 2026.

Adding family members as co-occupants

DLD's occupants registration service records the people living in a rented home. It runs on the Ejari system and the Dubai REST app, and you verify your identity with UAE PASS.

1. Open the Dubai REST app and choose your category: owner, real estate company or tenant.
2. Log in and verify your identity through the UAE PASS app.
3. Select the rented property and open the option to manage occupants.
4. Add each person with their UAE ID number and date of birth, then verify.

DLD's FAQ says the current occupant does this, registration is optional and there is no fine for not registering. People on visit or tourist visas do not need to be added. There is no Ejari certificate for a co-occupant.

Renewing and cancelling an Ejari contract

A renewal goes through the same DLD service as a new registration, with the same fees. Under Article 14 of the tenancy law, a party who wants to change the terms at renewal must tell the other at least 90 days before the contract ends, unless they agreed otherwise.

When a contract has expired and the home is vacated, it is closed with DLD's cancel tenancy contract service. DLD's tenancy guide says a new contract is not registered for a unit until the previous tenant's contract has ended.

Cancel on the app or Ejari system

Free of charge

Cancel at a trustee centre

AED 40 service partner fee plus VAT

Contract still active

A trustee centre asks for a letter from the owner requesting cancellation

Tenant request, contract expired

No landlord approval needed

Certificate

None. The contract is invalid once cancellation is complete

Ejari and rental disputes

Disputes between landlords and tenants in Dubai go to the Rental Disputes Center (RDC). Clause 10 of the unified tenancy contract says the same.

To open an amicable settlement case, the RDC asks for a copy of the latest lease (Ejari), your Emirates ID, a bank letter or statement showing your IBAN and any supporting papers. Documents must be in Arabic or legally translated into Arabic. Keep your Ejari certificate and the signed contract where you can find them.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the tenant registers. The landlord is responsible, and a tenant's request lapses after 5 days without the landlord's approval.
• Registering with a passport. DLD registers contracts with the UAE ID, apart from the exceptions it lists.
• Leaving the old contract open. The previous Ejari for the unit has to end before a new one is registered.
• Adding terms in English only. DLD's FAQ says additional terms in Ejari are limited to 4,000 characters and Arabic terms are mandatory.
• Forgetting the housing fee. 5% of the annual rent arrives through the DEWA bills, so include it in your budget.
• Paying an amount you have not checked. Compare any Ejari charge with the fee table on the DLD service page before you pay.

Questions people ask

How we help with Ejari

If you rent through Long Rainbow, we prepare the unified tenancy contract with the landlord, check the documents against the DLD list and handle the Ejari registration with you.

Rules and fees change. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will check what applies to your case.