Things to Check Before Signing a Tenancy Contract in Dubai

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Checked against Dubai's tenancy law, Decree No. 43 of 2013, the Dubai Land Department's Ejari and Trakheesi service pages and the Rental Disputes Centre fee guidance. Sources are listed at the end.

Key Takeaways

• Check the title deed against the Emirates ID of the person signing, or their power of attorney. Verify the broker and the advert through the DLD's Trakheesi service in the Dubai REST app.
• The contract must be the DLD's unified tenancy contract, registered in Ejari under Article 4 of Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended. Registration costs AED 177.75 in the Dubai REST app or AED 220 at a trustee centre.
• The security deposit is refundable under Article 20, but the law sets no amount. The common 5 percent unfurnished and 10 percent furnished is market practice, not a cap.
• Rent can only rise at renewal, within the Decree No. 43 of 2013 slabs (0 to 20 percent, depending on how far the rent sits below the RERA Smart Rental Index average), with 90 days' notice under Article 14.
• Neither party can end the contract alone during its term (Article 7). Eviction at expiry needs one of four grounds and 12 months' notice through a Notary Public or registered mail (Article 25).
• The agency fee is by agreement under By-Law No. 85 of 2006. The usual 5 percent plus VAT is market practice.

1. Who Owns the Property, and Who Is the Broker?

Before anything else, ask for the title deed when renting in Dubai. It confirms the legal owner and should match the passport or Emirates ID of whoever signs with you. Someone who is not the owner needs a valid power of attorney. No title deed and no power of attorney means no contract.

Then check the broker. The DLD's Trakheesi system issues the licences and permits for everyone practising real estate in Dubai, and its Validate Trakheesi Transactions service lets you verify them on the DLD website or in the Dubai REST app. Check the broker's registration number and the advert's permit number: a licensed agent can still post an advert without a permit. If the names do not match the agent and firm in front of you, stop. Most rental scams fail at exactly this check.

Do this before you pay anything. If the property checks out but the upfront cheques are the problem, you can pay your rent monthly through Keyper while the landlord is paid upfront.

2. Is It the DLD Unified Tenancy Contract, and Will It Be Registered?

Dubai has one contract. The DLD's unified tenancy contract is the form the Ejari system accepts, and anything the parties add goes in an addendum that must not contradict the tenancy law. If you are handed a different format, ask why.

Article 4 of Law No. 26 of 2007, as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008, requires every tenancy contract to be registered with RERA. That registration is Ejari: AED 177.75 in the Dubai REST app or AED 220 at a trustee centre. The law does not say which party must do it, so have the contract state who registers and who pays. There is no published deadline, but DEWA needs the Ejari number before it opens an account, so register the day you sign.

3. What Does the Rent Really Cost?

The contract should state the annual rent, the number of payments and their dates, and the accepted rent payment methods. Since 23 June 2026 the DLD's FlexiRent initiative lets participating property management companies offer monthly, quarterly or half-yearly instalments on their own units. It covers leases of a year or more, with the same annual rent split over the period the tenant chooses. It is voluntary, so ask. Keyper's Rent Now, Pay Monthly pays the landlord upfront while you pay 12 monthly card payments.

Then the extras, each a written number before you sign:

• Security deposit. Article 20 lets the landlord take a deposit to secure maintenance at the end of the lease and requires it, or what remains, to be refunded at expiry. The law sets no amount and no fixed number of days, though the refund is due at expiry. The market convention is 5 percent of annual rent unfurnished and 10 percent furnished. On the average registered rent in Downtown Dubai of AED 178,691 for July to September 2026, from Dubai Land Department data on Keyper's platform, that is AED 8,935 or AED 17,869. Write the amount, the deduction rules and the refund timing into the contract. At the end, the same record decides which deductions are fair.
• Agency fee. By-Law No. 85 of 2006 requires a written brokerage contract with a registered broker and leaves the fee to agreement. The 5 percent plus VAT most agents quote is practice, not law, which is what makes the agency fee negotiable.
• Utilities and the building. Confirm whether DEWA is in your name, and whether chiller charges, parking, gym and pool are included, the main practical difference between furnished and unfurnished properties. If it is not in the contract, it is not guaranteed.

The table separates what the law fixes from what only the contract fixes. The third column is where to negotiate.

4. What Happens at Renewal?

Under Article 6, if you stay after the term ends and the landlord does not object, the contract renews for the same term or one year, whichever is shorter, on the same conditions. Under Article 14, a party who wants to change the terms, including the rent, must notify the other at least 90 days before expiry, unless the contract says otherwise, so check whether yours shortens it.

How much the rent can rise is set by Decree No. 43 of 2013 and depends on how far your rent sits below the average for similar units in the RERA Smart Rental Index. Since 2 January 2025 that index classifies buildings on finishes, maintenance, location and services.

Run the numbers with the RERA rental calculator before you sign. A landlord can decline to renew, but only with the notice the law requires.

5. Can You Leave Early, and Can They Evict You?

Article 7 says a valid tenancy contract cannot be terminated by one party alone during its term, only by mutual consent or as the law provides. So an early exit is a contract term. Look for a clause stating the notice you must give and the penalty, usually a number of months' rent. If it is vague or missing, agree it in writing before you sign. Early termination clauses are negotiable, and worth negotiating before you sign.

The landlord's side is tighter. During the term, Article 25(1) allows eviction only on listed grounds, among them rent unpaid 30 days after notice, unauthorised subletting, illegal or damaging use, and a breach not cured 30 days after notice. At expiry, Article 25(2) allows it on four grounds only: demolition or reconstruction, restoration that cannot be done with the tenant in place, the owner's or a first-degree relative's own use, or sale. For own use the owner must prove they have no suitable alternative property. Any of them needs 12 months' notice through a Notary Public or registered mail. Under Article 26, a landlord who recovers a home for own use cannot re-let it for two years. No clause can shorten any of this, and a notice that skips a step is not valid.

6. Who Pays for Maintenance?

Article 15 requires the landlord to hand over the property in a condition that allows full use, and Article 16 makes the landlord responsible for maintenance and for repairing defects that affect the tenant's use, unless the parties agree otherwise. That last phrase is why you read the maintenance clause. Contracts commonly shift minor repairs to the tenant up to a stated amount. That is allowed, but it should be explicit, with a figure. The usual split is set out in who pays for maintenance when renting in Dubai, and if your landlord becomes unresponsive about repairs, Article 16 is your starting point. Also look for an access clause stating when, and with how much notice, the landlord may enter.

7. Is the Property in the Condition You Are Paying For?

Visit in daylight and go through every room. Test the air conditioning, run the taps, check for cracks, water stains and damaged fittings. Photograph everything, then have the landlord sign an inventory or attach your record as an addendum. Article 21 requires you to return the property in the condition you received it, fair wear and tear excepted, and the only proof of that condition is a record from move-in. Photograph every room against a move-in checklist and keep the signed inspection report.

Red Flags Before You Sign

• No title deed, or a name on it that does not match the signatory and no power of attorney.
• A broker number or advert permit that cannot be verified in the Dubai REST app.
• No commitment on who registers Ejari, or pressure to pay a deposit before an inspection.
• Clauses that shorten the 90 days' notice, allow increases beyond Decree 43, or claim eviction rights the law does not give.
• Verbal promises that are not in writing.

FAQs

How do I check if my rent agreement is registered?

A registered contract has an Ejari certificate with a unique number, downloaded from the Dubai REST app or the Ejari system by whoever registered it. Ask for the certificate and check that the rent, dates and parties match your contract. The practical test is DEWA: its move-in service requires a valid Ejari number for tenants, so if DEWA accepts the number, the registration exists.

How do I get a tenancy contract in Dubai?

Use the Dubai Land Department's unified tenancy contract, the form the Ejari system accepts. The broker or landlord normally supplies it. Once both parties sign, it is registered in Ejari for AED 177.75 in the Dubai REST app or AED 220 at a trustee centre.

How do I make a tenancy contract in Dubai?

Fill in the unified contract with the property details, the parties and their Emirates ID numbers, the annual rent, the number of payments, the security deposit and the term. Anything extra, such as a maintenance threshold or an early exit clause, goes in an addendum that must not contradict Law No. 26 of 2007. Both parties sign, then the contract is registered in Ejari.

What should I know before signing a residential lease in Dubai?

That the title deed and the signatory match, and that the broker and advert are verified in the Dubai REST app. That the contract is the DLD unified form and will be registered in Ejari. And that the deposit, payment schedule, maintenance split and early exit terms are written down. The law fixes the rest: 90 days' notice for changes, Decree 43 slabs for increases and 12 months' notice for eviction at expiry.

How do I check if a landlord is registered?

Landlords are not registered as such. Ownership is proved by the title deed issued by the Dubai Land Department, and the name on it should match the Emirates ID of the person signing, or that person should hold a power of attorney from the owner. Brokers are registered, and you can verify a broker's licence and an advert's permit through the DLD's Trakheesi verification on its website or in the Dubai REST app.

Sign Once, Sign Right

Dubai's tenancy law protects the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords, but only through a contract on the right form, signed by the right person and registered in Ejari. Everything the law leaves open is yours to negotiate before you sign and hard to change after. Beyond the rent sit the deposit, the agency fee, Ejari and DEWA.

Sources

• Law No. 26 of 2007 Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai (Articles 4, 6, 7, 20 and 21)
• Law No. 33 of 2008 Amending Law No. 26 of 2007 (Articles 14, 15, 16, 25 and 26)
• Decree No. 43 of 2013 Determining Rent Increase for Real Property (the slabs)
• Dubai Land Department: Smart Rental Index announcement (building classification since 2 January 2025)
• Dubai Land Department: Register / Renew Tenancy Contract (fees, five-day approval)
• Dubai Land Department: Validate Trakheesi Transactions (licence and permit checks)
• Dubai Land Department: FlexiRent initiative (monthly, quarterly or half-yearly instalments, launched 23 June 2026)
• Al Tamimi and Company: Real estate brokerage contract and the requirement for registration (By-Law No. 85 of 2006, fee by agreement)
• DEWA: Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-in) (valid Ejari number required for tenants)
• Keyper data platform (Downtown Dubai average rent, July to September 2026, DLD data, read 24 October 2026)