United Arab Emirates
Ejari
Dubai Land Department's mandatory tenancy contract registration. AED 120 online, ~AED 220 at a Trustee Centre, required for DEWA, school enrolment, residence visas and family sponsorship.
Overview
Ejari (literally 'my rent') is Dubai Land Department's mandatory electronic registration of every tenancy contract in the emirate, residential and commercial. Without an Ejari certificate, a tenant cannot connect DEWA, enrol children in school, sponsor family members for residence visas, or file a rental dispute at the Rental Disputes Centre. Landlords cannot prove the contract for tax, mortgage or VAT purposes either. The system was launched in 2010 and has registered every Dubai lease since.
Registration is done one of two ways. The online route through the Dubai REST app or the Dubai Land Department portal costs AED 120 (AED 100 base + AED 10 Knowledge Fee + AED 10 Innovation Fee) and the certificate is delivered to email within minutes of payment. The in-person route at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre costs approximately AED 220-230 because the centre charges a service partner fee of AED 95 plus VAT. Both routes produce the same legally valid certificate. The certificate is renewed at the same fee every year when the lease is renewed.
Three things matter operationally. First, the tenant is usually the one who pays the Ejari fee, although the responsibility can be shifted to the landlord by contractual agreement. Second, only the official Dubai REST app or Trustee Centre can produce a valid certificate; PDFs from real-estate agents that look like Ejari certificates but were not pushed through the DLD system are not accepted by DEWA or by GDRFA. Third, the Ejari certificate is the document GDRFA checks when processing a family residence visa, so a wrong unit number or wrong building name silently blocks the visa application. Confirm certificate details against the actual tenancy contract before submission anywhere.
Services offered
- Tenancy contract registration
- Ejari renewal
- Ejari cancellation on move-out
- Ejari certificate download
How to access
1. Sign the tenancy contract
Sign the Dubai standard tenancy contract (Unified Form) with the landlord. The contract must be on the standard form with the correct DLD title-deed number, full unit details, agreed rent, payment schedule, and tenant Emirates ID number. Errors here propagate to Ejari and to DEWA.
2. Open Dubai REST app or visit a Trustee Centre
Online: install the Dubai REST app (Dubai Land Department publisher), log in with UAE Pass, choose Services > Ejari > Register New. In-person: visit any Real Estate Services Trustee Centre with the contract, tenant and landlord Emirates IDs, and title deed.
3. Upload supporting documents
Upload the signed tenancy contract, tenant Emirates ID, tenant passport with valid visa page, landlord Emirates ID or passport, title deed, and a recent DEWA premise number bill if one exists. Confirm the unit number and building name match the title deed exactly.
4. Pay the fee
Pay AED 120 online by credit card or AED 220-230 at the Trustee Centre. The fee includes the AED 100 base, AED 10 Knowledge Fee, AED 10 Innovation Fee, plus the Trustee Centre service partner fee if in person.
5. Download the certificate
Online: the PDF certificate is emailed within minutes. In-person: the centre prints it on the spot. Save the PDF for DEWA connection, school enrolment, GDRFA family visa, RTA driving licence address update, and any future rental dispute filing.
FAQs
AED 120 online via the Dubai REST app or DLD portal, which is AED 100 base fee plus AED 10 Knowledge Fee plus AED 10 Innovation Fee. AED 220-230 at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre, which adds a AED 95 service partner fee plus VAT. The cost is the same for new registration and for annual renewal. Confirm at the moment of payment on dubailand.gov.ae.
By default the tenant pays, but the contract can shift the responsibility to the landlord by explicit clause. Many landlords pay Ejari for first-time tenants as a goodwill gesture; others charge it back. Read the contract before paying.
Yes. DEWA refuses to open or transfer an electricity-and-water account without a valid Ejari certificate matching the premise number. This is the most common reason a new tenant cannot get DEWA on move-in day.
Yes. GDRFA requires a valid Ejari certificate as proof of adequate housing for the family. The certificate must be in the sponsor's name and the unit size must be appropriate to the family being sponsored (typically a minimum two-bedroom for family with children). A studio Ejari will not pass a family visa file.
You and the landlord cancel the existing Ejari, and you register a new Ejari at the new address. The cancellation step is critical because the old Ejari blocks any new Ejari you try to open at a different unit until it is closed. Always confirm cancellation directly on the Dubai REST app and not just by the landlord's word.
Yes for completed free-zone properties (DIFC, DMCC, JAFZA), with their own slightly different forms in some cases. Off-plan units cannot be Ejari'd until handover; until then the SPA (sales and purchase agreement) is the document of record.
Open the Dubai REST app, navigate to Services > Ejari > My Certificates. Any Ejari ever issued to your Emirates ID is listed and the PDF can be downloaded for free. The DLD portal does the same.
Ejari registration cannot be completed without the title deed number. If the landlord refuses, the tenant can file a complaint with the Rental Disputes Centre or contact the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), as the landlord is legally required to register the lease. Most refusal cases are quickly resolved once the landlord understands they cannot legally collect rent on an unregistered lease.
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