Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Fees and rules checked against the Dubai Land Department's Ejari service page and Dubai's tenancy law. Sources are listed at the end.
Key Takeaways
- Every tenancy contract in Dubai must be registered with RERA through Ejari. Article 4 of Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, makes registration mandatory.
- Registration is a shared obligation of landlord and tenant under the Dubai Land Department's rules. In practice the tenant or the agent usually does it, and the tenant usually pays.
- Without Ejari you cannot open a DEWA account, use the contract for a residence visa, or file a case at the Rental Dispute Centre.
- The fee through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website is AED 177.75. At a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre it is AED 220. Renewal is the same service and the same fee.
- You need the unified tenancy contract and your Emirates ID. Trustee centres may also ask for the title deed and a recent DEWA bill.
- Ejari does not renew itself. A new certificate is registered for every tenancy period, including renewals with the same landlord.
What Does Ejari Mean?
Ejari (إيجاري) is Arabic for "my rent". It is the name of the tenancy registration system the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), part of the Dubai Land Department, introduced in 2010 to give Dubai one legally recognised record of every lease. Registering a contract produces an Ejari certificate with a unique number, and that number is what DEWA, the immigration authorities and the Rental Dispute Centre ask for.
If your rent is the obstacle rather than the paperwork, Keyper's Rent Now, Pay Monthly pays the landlord the year's rent upfront while you pay in twelve monthly card payments, with the contract registered in Ejari as normal.
Who Is Responsible for Registration?
Under Dubai rental law, every contract governed by the tenancy law must be registered with RERA. The Dubai Land Department lets either party register: landlords through the Ejari system, a trustee centre or the Dubai REST app, and tenants through a trustee centre or Dubai REST with the landlord's approval. In most cases the tenant or the real estate agent completes the process. The landlord has to approve the request: if a tenant submits through the Dubai REST app and the landlord does not approve within five days, the request is cancelled.
The tenant typically pays the fee. That is Dubai practice rather than a rule, so it is worth having the tenancy contract state who pays and who registers, to avoid a dispute later. Registration is needed for every new tenancy period, including renewals. It does not carry over.
Documents Required for Ejari Registration
The Dubai Land Department asks for the following. Having everything ready is what makes the difference between a 25-minute visit and a second trip.
- The signed unified tenancy contract (the DLD template). In the app you upload a copy. At a trustee centre you bring the original.
- The applicant's Emirates ID.
- A power of attorney, if someone is registering on another person's behalf. One issued in Dubai is referenced by number. One issued elsewhere must be attached.
- Trustee centres commonly also ask for the landlord's Emirates ID or passport copy, the title deed and a recent DEWA bill for the premises. Check that the DEWA premises number on the bill matches the property, because a mismatch is a frequent reason for rejection.
- For a commercial property, the trade licence of the business occupying it.
How Much Does Ejari Cost?
The Dubai Land Department lists two fee schedules, depending on where you register.
| Fee component | Dubai REST app or DLD website | Trustee Centre |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy contract registration | AED 100 | AED 100 |
| Knowledge fee | AED 10 | AED 10 |
| Innovation fee | AED 10 | AED 10 |
| Service partner fee plus VAT | AED 55 plus AED 2.75 | AED 95 plus VAT |
| Total | AED 177.75 | AED 220 |
Source: Dubai Land Department, "Register / Renew Tenancy Contract" service page, read 15 October 2026. Renewal is the same service at the same fees. The DLD notes fees are subject to change, and the Dubai REST app shows the current amount before you pay.
Property management companies and typing centres that handle the registration for you add their own service charge on top, so ask for the figure in advance. It sits alongside the deposit, the agency fee and the DEWA deposit in the day-one total.
How to Register Ejari Online
The cheapest and quickest route is the Dubai REST app, available on iOS and Android. Both tenant and landlord need UAE Pass, and both must be individuals. Where a company manages the property, the company registers through the Ejari system instead.
- Download the Dubai REST app and log in with UAE Pass.
- Go to Services, then RERA, then Register Ejari Contract.
- Enter the tenancy details: the property, the rent, the contract dates and the parties.
- Upload a copy of the unified tenancy contract.
- Submit. The landlord receives a notification and approves the request in the app. If they do not approve within five days, the request is cancelled and you start again.
- Pay AED 177.75.
- Download the Ejari certificate. It carries the Ejari number you will give to DEWA and use for visa applications.
Registering at a trustee centre follows the same steps in person, takes about 25 minutes excluding waiting time, and costs AED 220.
Registered through Ejari, paid monthly by card
Keyper pays your landlord the year's rent upfront, you pay Keyper in 12 monthly card payments, and the security deposit is split across the first three. Zero upfront cost.
See how Rent Now, Pay Monthly worksHow to Renew Ejari
Ejari does not renew automatically. A new certificate is registered for every tenancy period, even if you stay in the same property with the same landlord. The Dubai Land Department runs registration and renewal as one service, so the renewal fee is the same: AED 177.75 in the app, AED 220 at a trustee centre.
Start the renewal as soon as the renewal contract is signed and before the current contract ends. You will need the signed renewal contract and the same supporting documents, and the landlord approves in the app as before. A gap between the old certificate and the new one is a gap in your legal tenancy record, and it shows up at the worst moments: a DEWA query, a visa renewal, or a dispute.
FAQs
How much is the Ejari fee in Dubai?
AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website, made up of AED 100 registration, AED 10 knowledge fee, AED 10 innovation fee and a AED 55 service partner fee plus VAT. At a trustee centre the service partner fee is AED 95 plus VAT, so the total is AED 220.
What is Ejari?
Ejari is the Dubai Land Department's tenancy registration system, run by RERA. Every lease in Dubai must be registered in it, and the Ejari certificate is the document DEWA, the immigration authorities and the Rental Dispute Centre recognise.
How do I register Ejari as a tenant?
Log in to the Dubai REST app with UAE Pass, choose Register Ejari Contract, enter the tenancy details, upload the unified tenancy contract, submit for the landlord's approval and pay AED 177.75. Or take the original contract and your Emirates ID to a trustee centre and pay AED 220.
What are the Ejari renewal fees?
The same as registration: AED 177.75 in the app or AED 220 at a trustee centre. Registration and renewal are one service on the DLD's fee schedule.
Can a tenant register Ejari without the landlord?
A tenant can submit the application, but the landlord must approve it in the app. If the landlord does not approve within five days the request is cancelled. The tenancy contract should say who registers and who pays.
What happens if my Ejari expires?
Your tenancy record lapses. DEWA, visa renewals and any case at the Rental Dispute Centre rely on a current certificate, so register the renewal as soon as the new contract is signed. Registration cannot be back-dated, so a late renewal is better than none.
Before You Sign
Ejari is the legal foundation of every tenancy in Dubai. A current certificate protects the rights of tenants and landlords, keeps the utilities running and keeps your visa paperwork clean. At the other end of the tenancy the record has to be cancelled, and leaving it unregistered altogether costs you DEWA, visas and the dispute route.
Pay your Dubai rent monthly
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Apply to pay rent monthlySources
- Dubai Land Department: Register / Renew Tenancy Contract (fees, channels, documents, 25-minute service time)
- Dubai Land Department: Ejari Services (registration channels for landlords and tenants, landlord approval within 5 days or the request is automatically cancelled)
- Dubai Land Department: real estate legislation (Law No. 26 of 2007 and Law No. 33 of 2008)
- Dubai Land Department: Dubai REST app
