Ejari Registration in Dubai: Step by Step, Fees and Documents

The short answer

Ejari is the Dubai Land Department system for registering tenancy contracts, and every lease in Dubai has to be registered in it. Registering online through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website costs AED 120 (AED 100 registration, AED 10 knowledge fee and AED 10 innovation fee). At a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre the same AED 120 applies plus a service partner fee of AED 95 and VAT, which is where the commonly quoted figure of about AED 220 comes from. Either the landlord or the tenant can start the registration, but the other side has to approve it, and the registered contract is what lets the tenant connect DEWA electricity and water and rely on the lease in a dispute.

Ejari at a glance

What it is	The Dubai Land Department (DLD) system for registering tenancy contracts with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA)
Legal basis	Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008: every tenancy contract and amendment must be registered
Fee online	AED 120 through Dubai REST or the DLD website
Fee at a centre	AED 120 plus a AED 95 service partner fee and VAT
Who can register	Owners, real estate and management companies, owners' representatives; tenants with the owner's approval or no-objection letter
Contract length	From under six months up to a maximum of 10 years
Needed for	DEWA connection, residence visa and family sponsorship files, trade licences for commercial units, rental disputes

Why registration matters

Dubai's tenancy law requires every tenancy contract, and any amendment to it, to be registered with RERA, and Ejari is the system that does this. For the tenant, the Ejari certificate is the document government services ask for: DEWA opens the electricity and water account from it, and it is commonly requested for residence visa and family sponsorship applications. For a business renting an office, shop or warehouse, a registered commercial lease is part of the trade licence file. For the landlord, a registered contract is what the Rental Disputes Center works from if rent goes unpaid or the parties disagree, and it is what the rent index and notice rules in our guide to Dubai rent increase rules are applied to.

Who registers: landlord or tenant?

The Ejari system is open to owners, real estate companies, owners' representatives and management companies. According to DLD, a tenant can begin a registration in the Dubai REST app, but the landlord must approve it; alternatively, a tenant can register at a trustee centre with the owner's no-objection letter (NOC). Trustee centres will also register a contract when one of the parties attends in person or an agent attends with a power of attorney.

In practice, when a unit is let through an agent or a management company, the agent usually registers the lease and the fee is settled between the parties as the contract says. Two points from DLD's rules are worth knowing before you sign:

• Commercial leases must be issued in the name of a licensed entity, not an individual.
• Individuals can hold up to three residential Ejari contracts at a time; commercial contracts have no limit.

Documents you need

What you need depends on the channel:

• Dubai REST app or DLD website: a copy of the signed unified tenancy contract, with both parties' details. The other party then approves the request in the app.
• Trustee centre: the original unified tenancy contract, the applicant's Emirates ID and, if someone is acting for a party, the power of attorney. A Dubai-issued power of attorney can be referenced by its number; one issued in another emirate must be attached.

Centres commonly also ask for a copy of the title deed, the landlord's passport or Emirates ID, the tenant's passport and visa page, and the DEWA premises number for the unit, which is usually printed on a plate by the front door. Having these ready avoids a second visit. Tenants without a UAE ID can still register in some cases: DLD notes exceptions for embassies and consulates and that GCC nationals can use passport details.

Step by step: registering online

1. Sign the unified tenancy contract. Dubai uses a standard form; extra terms go in an addendum signed by both sides.
2. Open the Dubai REST app (or the DLD website) and log in.
3. Choose Ejari registration under the tenancy services and enter the contract details: parties, unit, rent, payment schedule and contract dates.
4. Upload the signed contract and any addendum.
5. The other party approves. If the tenant started the request, the landlord receives it in the app and must accept it.
6. Pay AED 120 from the request screen or the DLD self-payment portal.
7. Download the Ejari certificate. DEWA then sends the tenant a contract account number and a link to pay the security deposit.

Step by step: at a trustee centre

1. Take the original unified tenancy contract, your Emirates ID and, if needed, the owner's NOC or a power of attorney.
2. The centre checks the documents and enters the contract in Ejari.
3. Pay AED 120 in government fees plus the AED 95 service partner fee and VAT.
4. Receive the Ejari certificate once the documents are verified.

What it costs

Registration (Dubai REST or DLD website)	AED 100 + AED 10 knowledge fee + AED 10 innovation fee = AED 120
Registration at a trustee centre	AED 120 + AED 95 service partner fee + VAT (about AED 220)
Ejari user account	Free
Cancellation by owner or real estate company	Free
Cancellation at a trustee centre	AED 40

After Ejari, a new tenant pays DEWA a refundable security deposit of AED 2,000 for a flat or AED 4,000 for a villa, plus a connection fee of AED 125 for a small meter or AED 300 for a large meter and AED 30 in registration, knowledge and innovation fees. DEWA says supply is connected within 15 working hours of the deposit being paid. These utility costs, the agency fee and the rent cheques are all part of the move-in budget.

Renewal, changes and cancellation

Renewal. Each renewed contract period has to be registered again, and renewal can be done before the current contract expires. If an earlier year was never registered, DLD says it must be registered first, or the old contract terminated and a new one registered. If the rent is changing, the 90-day notice and rent index rules apply; see Dubai rent increase rules.

Changing terms. Any amendment to a registered contract, such as a new rent or a change of tenant name, also has to be registered, so record changes in a signed addendum and update Ejari.

Cancellation. An individual owner can cancel the Ejari in Dubai REST or the Ejari system; an owner company can cancel through the Ejari system or its management company. A tenant can only cancel their own contract, with the owner's approval in Dubai REST or the owner's NOC at a trustee centre. Settle the final DEWA bill before you leave. Until the old Ejari is cancelled, the next tenant cannot register the unit, so landlords and incoming tenants both have an interest in getting it closed.

Common problems and how to avoid them

• Dates that overlap. A new contract cannot start before the previous Ejari on the unit ends; ask the landlord to confirm the old registration has been cancelled.
• Unapproved requests. A tenant's request sits pending until the landlord approves it in Dubai REST, so agree who will register before the keys are handed over.
• Wrong DEWA premises number. Check the number on the unit itself; a wrong number means the utility account is opened on the wrong premises.
• Commercial lease in a personal name. DLD will not register a commercial unit to an individual; the lease must be in the company's name and match its licence.
• Side agreements. Terms that are not in the registered contract or addendum are harder to rely on at the Rental Disputes Center.

For landlords letting a property

If you own property in Dubai and plan to let it, registering the lease promptly protects you as much as the tenant: it is the contract the Rental Disputes Center will look at, and it fixes the rent from which any future increase is measured. Our landlord's guide to renting out property in Dubai covers the rest of the process, from setting the rent against the RERA index to notice periods, and Dubai service charges explains the building costs that owners pay while a unit is let.

How LMG helps

LMG Properties is a Dubai-based real estate firm offering residential and investment property across Dubai, the UAE and selected international markets. Whether you are buying a home to live in or an investment to let, we can explain the paperwork that follows the purchase, including tenancy registration, and point you to the right authority before you commit. See our Dubai and UAE property page, the full costs of buying property in Dubai and our services.

Questions

What is Ejari in Dubai?

Ejari is the Dubai Land Department's online system for registering tenancy contracts. Dubai's tenancy law, Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, requires every lease and any amendment to it to be registered with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, and an Ejari certificate is the proof that a contract has been registered.

How much does Ejari registration cost?

Through the Dubai REST app or the Dubai Land Department website, registering a tenancy contract costs AED 100 plus a AED 10 knowledge fee and a AED 10 innovation fee, AED 120 in total. At a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre the same AED 120 applies plus a service partner fee of AED 95 and VAT, which is why tenants are often quoted about AED 220.

Who is responsible for Ejari, the landlord or the tenant?

Either party can start the registration, but the landlord's side has to agree. A tenant can begin registration in Dubai REST and the landlord must approve it, or the tenant can go to a trustee centre with the owner's no-objection letter. In practice the landlord or the managing agent usually registers, and leases often state who pays the fee.

What documents do I need for Ejari?

Online through Dubai REST you upload a copy of the signed unified tenancy contract. At a trustee centre DLD asks for the original unified tenancy contract, the applicant's Emirates ID and, if someone is acting for a party, a power of attorney. Centres commonly also ask for the title deed, the landlord's passport or Emirates ID and the DEWA premises number.

How long does Ejari take?

Online registration through Dubai REST or the DLD website is usually completed the same day once both parties have approved and the fee is paid. Once Ejari is issued, DEWA creates the electricity and water account automatically and connects supply within 15 working hours of the security deposit being paid.

Do I need to renew Ejari every year?

Yes, whenever the tenancy contract is renewed. Each new contract period must be registered, and DLD says earlier unregistered years must be registered first or the old contract cancelled and a new one registered. Renewal can be done before the current contract expires.

How do I cancel Ejari when I move out?

An individual owner can cancel the Ejari in Dubai REST or the Ejari system. A tenant can only cancel their own contract with the owner's approval in Dubai REST or with the owner's no-objection letter at a trustee centre, where cancellation costs AED 40. An Ejari that is not cancelled blocks the next tenant from registering the unit.

Fees, documents and rules summarised from the Dubai Land Department frequently asked questions (Ejari section) and DEWA's move-in activation service, checked on 2026-10-15, with the legal basis from Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. Fees and procedures can change. This page is general information, not legal advice.