Renting a home in Dubai runs on one system and one law. The system is Ejari, the emirate's mandatory tenancy registration platform. The law is Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, which sets out how contracts renew, how much rent can rise, and on what grounds a landlord can end a tenancy. Neither side needs a lawyer to understand the basics, but both sides need to know the rules before a dispute lands at the Rental Disputes Centre. This guide walks through registration, rent increases, notice periods, eviction grounds, and where to go if something goes wrong.
What Is Ejari and Why It Matters
Ejari means "my rent" in Arabic. It is the registration service through which every residential and commercial tenancy contract in Dubai is recorded with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department. Under Law No. 26 of 2007, all lease contracts must be registered with RERA, and Dubai courts and the Rental Disputes Centre cannot hear a rental dispute unless the underlying contract has been registered.
Registration matters beyond the courtroom too. A valid Ejari certificate is a prerequisite for activating electricity and water: DEWA's own guidance confirms that a registered Ejari contract is mandatory to open a DEWA account, and once the certificate is issued, DEWA receives the tenant and property data automatically and can connect supply within 15 working hours of the security deposit being paid. Ejari is also routinely required to support residency visa applications and school enrollment, since it is the official record of where a resident lives.
Who Registers Ejari and How
Either the tenant or the landlord (or an authorized representative) can complete registration, and the process runs through the Dubai REST app or the DLD eServices portal, or in person at a registration trustee center. The tenant, landlord, and unified tenancy contract details go in first, followed by document upload (Emirates ID for both parties, the signed tenancy contract, and a power of attorney where a representative signs on someone's behalf) and payment of the registration fee. Fees differ slightly by channel: AED 100 registration plus AED 10 knowledge fee, AED 10 innovation fee, and a service partner fee (AED 55 plus VAT online, or AED 95 plus VAT at a trustee center), bringing the total to roughly AED 177.75 online or AED 220 in person, per the fee schedule published on the DLD registration service page. Once approved, the system issues an e-Contract Registration Certificate, which is the document landlords, banks, DEWA, and immigration authorities will ask to see.
Rent Increases: The Rental Index and Decree No. 43 of 2013
Rent cannot move freely in Dubai. Decree No. 43 of 2013, issued to implement the rent-increase provisions of Law No. 26 of 2007, ties any increase to how far the current rent sits below the average rent for comparable units, benchmarked against the official Rent Index approved by RERA. Article 1 of the decree sets five bands: no increase permitted where current rent is within 10% of the index average; up to 5% where rent is 11-20% below average; up to 10% where it is 21-30% below; up to 15% where it is 31-40% below; and up to 20% where rent is more than 40% below the index average.
Tenants and landlords do not have to calculate this manually. The DLD Rental Index / Rental Increase Calculator lets either party enter the Ejari contract number or DEWA premise number, the property type and size, and the current annual rent, and returns the maximum permissible new rent. On 2 January 2025, the Dubai Land Department launched the Smart Rental Index, which uses artificial intelligence and a building classification system that weighs technical and structural condition, quality of finishes and maintenance, location, and available services and facilities, so that valuations reflect the actual quality of a specific building rather than a flat area average. The percentage bands from Decree No. 43 of 2013 continue to apply; the update changed how the benchmark average is calculated, not the increase caps themselves.
Notice Periods for Renewal, Rent Changes, and Non-Renewal
Contracts in Dubai renew automatically. Under Law No. 26 of 2007, if a tenant continues occupying the property after the term ends and the landlord does not object, the contract is treated as renewed for a similar term or one year, whichever is shorter, on the same conditions as before. That default only changes if one party gives notice.
Article 14 of Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, requires a party who wants to change any contract term on renewal, including the rent, to notify the other party at least 90 days before the contract expires, unless the contract itself sets a different period. This 90-day rule applies equally to a landlord proposing a rent increase and to either party declining to renew at all. A rent increase notice served late, or not served in writing, is not enforceable for that renewal cycle; the tenancy simply rolls over on the existing rent, and the landlord has to wait for the following year to try again.
Eviction During the Lease Term
A signed, registered tenancy contract cannot be cancelled unilaterally mid-term. Article 25(1) of Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended, lists the specific breaches that let a landlord seek eviction before the term ends: non-payment of rent within 30 days of a written payment notice, subletting without the landlord's written consent, using the property for an illegal purpose or in a manner damaging its reputation, causing deliberate or negligent damage, changing the designated use without approval, prolonged vacancy of commercial premises, or failing to remedy any other contractual breach within 30 days of notice. These grounds require only the specific notice tied to the breach (commonly a 30-day cure notice), not the 12-month notice that applies at lease expiry.
The 12-Month Eviction Notice at Lease Expiry
The 12-month rule is the one most tenants and landlords ask about, and it applies only to eviction sought at the natural end of a lease term, not mid-contract. Under Article 25(2) as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, a landlord may decline to renew and reclaim the property at expiry only on one of four grounds: the owner intends to sell the property, the owner or a first-degree relative needs it for personal use, the property requires comprehensive renovation or restoration that cannot be carried out while occupied, or the property is to be demolished and rebuilt.
For any of these four grounds, the landlord must notify the tenant at least 12 months before the eviction date, and the notice must be served through a Notary Public or by registered mail, a channel of service that is verifiable if the case ever reaches the Rental Disputes Centre. A verbal notice, a text message, or an ordinary email does not satisfy this requirement. Where a landlord evicts for personal use or for redevelopment and later fails to follow through within the period set by the law, the tenant can pursue compensation through the same dispute process.
Renewal, Non-Renewal, and What Happens Next
If neither party serves a valid notice, renewal is automatic on the same terms. If the landlord serves a proper 90-day rent notice within the RERA-permitted band, the tenant can either accept the new rent or vacate at expiry. If the landlord instead wants the unit back on one of the four Article 25(2) grounds, the 12-month notary or registered-mail notice is the only route, and it must be timed so the 12 months run out at or after the contract's expiry date, not mid-term.
Resolving Disputes: The Rental Disputes Centre
Rental disputes in Dubai, from contested rent increases to eviction challenges to unpaid rent claims, go to the Rental Disputes Centre (RDC), established under Decree No. 26 of 2013 as a specialized judicial body operating out of the Dubai Land Department building on Baniyas Road. Cases are first routed to a Conciliation Department, which attempts a mediated settlement between landlord and tenant. Unresolved cases move to a First Instance Committee, with an Appellate Division available for eligible cases. Under Article 14 of Decree No. 26 of 2013, judgments of the Appellate Division are final and not subject to any further appeal, including to the Court of Cassation; the RDC Appeal is the last stage in the process. A Central Support Department handles registration and legal process serving, and a Judgment Execution Department enforces final rulings, including eviction orders. Cases can be filed online through the RDC portal or in person, and, as with the courts, the RDC requires the underlying tenancy contract to be Ejari-registered before it will accept a claim.
FAQ
Is Ejari registration mandatory for every tenancy in Dubai? Yes. Every residential and commercial lease must be registered on Ejari with RERA under Law No. 26 of 2007, and both the Rental Disputes Centre and Dubai courts require a registered contract before they will hear a rental case, per the Dubai Land Department's own service description.
Can my landlord raise the rent by any amount at renewal? No. Any increase must fall within the bands set by Decree No. 43 of 2013, based on how far current rent sits below the RERA rental index for comparable units, from 0% up to a maximum of 20%.
How much notice does a landlord need to give before a rent increase? At least 90 days before the contract expires, in writing, under Article 14 of Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008. A late or unwritten notice is not enforceable for that renewal.
Can a landlord evict me without giving 12 months' notice? Only during the lease term and only for specific breaches (non-payment, unauthorized subletting, illegal use, and similar grounds under Article 25(1)). To reclaim the property at lease expiry for sale, personal use, renovation, or demolition, the landlord must serve 12 months' notice via Notary Public or registered mail.
What is the Smart Rental Index and does it replace the rent increase caps? The Smart Rental Index, launched by the DLD on 2 January 2025, uses an AI-assisted building classification system that accounts for structural condition, finishes and maintenance, location, and available services. It changes how the market benchmark is calculated; the increase percentage caps from Decree No. 43 of 2013 still apply.
Where do I file a rental dispute in Dubai? Through the Rental Disputes Centre, established under Decree No. 26 of 2013, either online via its portal or in person at its office in the Dubai Land Department building. Claims go first to conciliation, then to a First Instance Committee if unresolved.
Sources
- Dubai Land Department, Register/Renew Ejari Tenancy Contract eService: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/register-renew-ejari-contract/
- Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Ejari FAQ: https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/consumer/miscellanies/ejari-faq
- Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-in): https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/consumer/supply-management/activation-of-electricity-water-move-in
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. (26) of 2007 Regulating the Relationship Between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2007/Law%20No.%20%2826%29%20of%202007.html
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. (33) of 2008 Amending Law No. (26) of 2007: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2009/Law%20No.%20%2833%29%20of%202008%20Amending%20Law%20No.%20%2826%29%20of%202007.html
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Decree No. (43) of 2013 Determining Rent Increase for Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Decree%20No.%20%2843%29%20of%202013%20Determining%20Rent%20Increase%20for%20Real%20Property.html
- Dubai Land Department, Rental Index / Rental Increase Calculator eService: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/rental-index/rental-index/
- Dubai Land Department, Smart Rental Index 2025 announcement: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/news-media/smart-rental-index-announcement
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Decree No. (26) of 2013 Concerning the Rent Disputes Settlement Centre in the Emirate of Dubai: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Decree%2026%20of%202013.html
- Rental Disputes Centre, About RDC: https://rdc.gov.ae/en/about-rdc/about-rental-disputes-center/
- Rental Disputes Centre, Contact Us: https://rdc.gov.ae/en/contact-us
