ejari renewal

Ejari Renewal in Dubai: How It Works, Fees, Deadlines

If you're sitting on a Dubai tenancy contract that's about to expire, your Ejari renewal isn't optional admin — it's the document that keeps your DEWA running, your visa valid, and your school enrolment paperwork accepted. Here's the straight version.

Quick answer

Ejari is the Dubai tenancy registration system run by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), a branch of the Dubai Land Department. When your lease renews, you must update the Ejari registration to match the new contract — even if nothing else changed. The cost is around AED 219.75 through approved typing centres, or AED 155 via the Dubai REST app. You'll need the new signed contract, Emirates ID, passport copy, and a recent DEWA bill. Do it before the old Ejari expires, or you'll hit problems.

When and how to renew

Your landlord (or the property management company) usually sends a renewal contract 90 days before expiry — that's the notice period under Article 14 of Law No. 26 of 2007.^[1] Once both parties sign, the ejari renewal can be processed.

Two ways to do it. Either walk into an approved Ejari typing centre with the paperwork, or use the Dubai REST app and upload everything digitally. The app is cheaper and faster — in my experience, most renewals close within 24-48 hours if the documents are clean.

What you'll need:

• Original signed tenancy contract (new term)
• Emirates ID of the tenant
• Passport copy (and visa page for non-residents)
• Latest DEWA bill or premises number
• Title deed copy (the landlord normally provides this)
• Previous Ejari certificate

Frankly, the document most people forget is the title deed. Chase your landlord for it before you start.

Fees and timing

Through a typing centre, you're looking at roughly AED 219.75 — that's AED 120 Ejari fee, AED 100 typing charge approx, plus VAT and knowledge/innovation dirhams. Via Dubai REST, it's around AED 155.^[2] Prices have crept up over the past two years, so check the published rate on the day.

Costs (2025): Ejari renewal via Dubai REST app ~AED 155. Via typing centre ~AED 219.75. Add AED 10 knowledge fee + AED 10 innovation fee where applicable.

The certificate is issued the same day in most cases. If RERA's system flags a mismatch — wrong unit number, landlord ownership not updated, anything — you'll get bounced back. Fix it and resubmit.

Don't let the certificate lapse between contracts.

What happens if you skip it

This is where clients get burned. Without a valid Ejari:

• DEWA won't transfer or renew the connection
• You can't sponsor a family residency visa or renew one
• Etisalat/du won't activate new internet contracts
• Schools may refuse enrolment paperwork for KHDA
• You lose access to the Rental Disputes Centre if a fight breaks out with your landlord

That last one matters. The Rental Disputes Centre (RDC), established under Decree No. 26 of 2013, requires a registered Ejari before it will hear your case.^[3] No Ejari, no case. You can renew retroactively, but you'll be racing the clock while the dispute is live — not a position you want.

A penalty isn't formally published for late registration, but the practical cost is everything that stops working in the meantime.

Rent increases at renewal

Quick note because it comes up every single time. Your landlord cannot raise the rent at renewal unless the current rent is below the RERA Rental Index, and even then only by the percentages set out in Decree No. 43 of 2013.^[4] The increase has to be notified to you in writing at least 90 days before the contract ends. A landlord who sends a renewal notice on day 60 demanding 20% more is not following the law — and the new Ejari shouldn't reflect that figure until the dispute is resolved.

Check the RERA Rental Index on the Dubai REST app before you sign. Most tenants don't, and most overpay.

Watch out: If the rent on the new contract is higher than the old one, the Ejari system will flag it. Make sure the increase is legal under Decree 43/2013 before signing — once it's registered, walking it back is painful.

If you want to push back, you've got the Rental Disputes Centre as your forum.

Common renewal headaches

A few patterns I see repeatedly:

Landlord refuses to provide the title deed copy. They're obliged to cooperate with registration. If they stall, you can register through the typing centre with the older title deed and an explanatory note, or escalate to RERA.

Property sold mid-tenancy. The new owner inherits the contract under Article 28 of Law 26/2007. The Ejari renewal goes in their name once the title deed updates — get a copy of the new title deed before signing the renewal.

Joint tenancy where one tenant has left. You'll need a fresh contract reflecting the remaining tenant, then a new Ejari. You can't just amend the old one.

Short-term holiday let conversion. If your landlord is trying to flip the unit to holiday lets at renewal, that's a separate licensing issue under the DTCM holiday home rules — and your existing tenancy rights still apply for the full term.

Renew on time, keep copies of everything, and don't sign a contract you haven't read.

Citations

^[1] Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 Regulating the Relationship Between Landlords and Tenants in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 14. https://dlrc.dubai.gov.ae/

^[2] Dubai Land Department — Ejari services and fees. https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/ejari/

^[3] Decree No. 26 of 2013 Concerning the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre in the Emirate of Dubai. https://dlrc.dubai.gov.ae/

^[4] Decree No. 43 of 2013 Determining the Increase in Real Estate Rent in the Emirate of Dubai. https://dlrc.dubai.gov.ae/

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