Home › Renting guides › Ejari
Ejari in Dubai: register, renew, certificate and costs
Ejari is the Dubai Land Department system that registers every tenancy contract. It costs AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website and AED 220 at a Trustee Centre (DLD). 480,371 residential Ejari leases started in Dubai between 1 Jan and 15 Oct 2026; 286,377 were renewals.
Updated 21 Oct 2026 · Fees: Dubai Land Department · Lease counts: DLD Ejari open data · Method
“Register the Ejari the week you sign. Without it you cannot connect DEWA, and you have no record if there is a dispute.”
Every Ejari guide
- How to register Ejari in Dubai
Ejari is the Dubai Land Department system that registers every tenancy contract. Registering through the Dubai REST app or DLD website costs AED 177.75 (AED 100 registration, AED 10 knowledge, AED 10 innovation, AED 55 partner fee plus AED 2.75 VAT). A Real Estate Services Trustee Centre charges AED 220 and takes about 25 minutes. - How to register Ejari online
You can register Ejari online through the Dubai REST app, the DLD website (Ejari system) or Dubai Now for AED 177.75. App filing requires both landlord and tenant to be individuals with up-to-date owner data. Companies need a property-management licence. Trustee Centres handle in-person filings for AED 220. - How to renew Ejari
Ejari must be renewed each time the tenancy contract renews, normally every year. DLD uses the same Register / Renew service and fees: AED 177.75 through Dubai REST or the DLD website, AED 220 at a Trustee Centre. A rent change needs 90 days' notice before expiry (Law 26/2007 Art. 14). - Ejari certificate explained
The Ejari certificate is DLD's e-Contract Registration Certificate, proof that your tenancy contract is registered. It is emailed after online registration and can be downloaded from the DLD website, the Dubai REST app or UAE Pass. You need its number to activate DEWA, and it is used for family-visa sponsorship and rental disputes. - The Dubai unified tenancy contract
DLD's Unified Tenancy Contract has been mandatory since March 2017. Law 33 of 2008 Art. 4 requires a written, RERA-registered lease stating the property, its use, the term, the rent, the payment method and the owner's name if the landlord isn't the owner. Extra terms go in a signed addendum and cannot override the law. - How to activate DEWA when you move in
DEWA's refundable deposit is AED 2,000 for a flat, AED 4,000 for a villa. Small-meter activation costs AED 155 (AED 125 connection plus AED 10 each for registration, knowledge and innovation); large meters cost AED 300 to connect. Once Ejari is issued, DEWA opens the account automatically and connects within 15 working hours.
What Ejari costs (DLD, checked 20 Oct 2026)
| Item | AED | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy contract registration fee | 100 | source |
| Knowledge fee | 10 | source |
| Innovation fee | 10 | source |
| Service partner fee, Dubai REST app / DLD website | 55 + 2.75 VAT | source |
| Total via Dubai REST app / DLD website | 177.75 | source |
| Service partner fee, Trustee Centre | 95 + VAT | source |
| Total via Trustee Centre (as stated by DLD) | 220 | source |
| Renewal via Dubai REST / DLD website | 177.75 | source |
| Renewal via Trustee Centre | 220 | source |
| Cancellation of expired contract online | 0 | source |
| Cancellation at Trustee Centre | 40 + VAT | source |
Ejari leases registered, month by month
Residential Ejari leases by start month (one unit each), Dubai. Renewals are often registered weeks late, so the latest month is low.
| Month | All leases | Renewals |
|---|---|---|
| October 2025 | 59,770 | 34,639 |
| November 2025 | 55,455 | 32,805 |
| December 2025 | 51,751 | 32,150 |
| January 2026 | 62,146 | 40,268 |
| February 2026 | 51,445 | 31,102 |
| March 2026 | 47,084 | 32,060 |
| April 2026 | 41,755 | 28,837 |
| May 2026 | 42,910 | 27,415 |
| June 2026 | 44,407 | 26,732 |
| July 2026 | 51,422 | 29,472 |
| August 2026 | 55,113 | 30,043 |
| September 2026 | 55,441 | 27,686 |
Thinking of buying? Sale prices for every Dubai tower: BUY DUBAI →
Questions
What is Ejari?
Ejari is the Dubai Land Department system that registers every tenancy contract. It costs AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website and AED 220 at a Trustee Centre (DLD). 480,371 residential Ejari leases started in Dubai between 1 Jan and 15 Oct 2026; 286,377 were renewals.
Who is responsible for registering Ejari?
Law 26 of 2007 Art. 4 (as amended by Law 33 of 2008) requires all lease contracts to be registered with RERA. Gulf News reports the landlord is legally responsible, though in practice tenants or agents often do it under an addendum clause.
Who pays the Ejari fee?
Usually the tenant. Gulf News cites Law 26 of 2007 Art. 22: unless agreed otherwise, the tenant pays government fees for using the property. Check your contract.
What if I stay on after the lease ends and nobody objects?
Law 26/2007 Art. 6: the lease renews for the same term or one year, whichever is shorter.
Who pays for renewal?
The tenant, unless the contract says otherwise (Gulf News citing Law 26/2007 Art. 22; secondary).
Does DEWA need my tenancy contract as well?
No. DEWA says a valid Ejari replaces the tenancy contract for tenants outside free zones.
Is Ejari needed for a family visa?
Gulf News lists 'tenancy contract or Ejari registered under the wife's name' among the documents for sponsoring family. GDRFA's own page was not checked (secondary).
Sources (checked 20 Oct 2026)
- DLD eService: Register / Renew Ejari Contract (official)
- DLD eService: Request to Register and Renew Ejari Contract (official)
- Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, Dubai Legislation Portal (official, English translation)
- Dubai Law No. 33 of 2008 amending Law No. 26 of 2007, Dubai Legislation Portal (official)
- DEWA service guide: Activation of Electricity/Water (Move-in) (official)
- Gulf News: What is Ejari? (secondary, updated 14 Jan 2026)
- Gulf News: Who pays for Ejari renewal (secondary)
- Mondaq: tenancy contract guide (secondary)
- DLD eService: Cancel Tenancy Contract (official)
- DLD eService: Rental Index (official calculator)
- RDC eService: Register First Instance Lawsuit (Rental) (official)
- Gulf News: family visa sponsorship (secondary)
- Emaar blog: Understanding Ejari (secondary)
How we worked it out, and the limits
Updated 21 Oct 2026. Source: Dubai Land Department Ejari rent contracts. We use homes only, one unit for each contract, starting 16 Oct 2025–15 Oct 2026. "New" is a new tenant or a new contract. "Renewal" is the same contract, renewed. Bedrooms come from the Ejari unit type. "3 bed" means 3 or more. Every rent is a median: half the leases are above it. A figure needs 10 or more leases. A page needs 30 or more.
Fees. Quoted from the DLD eService pages linked above, checked 20 Oct 2026. Check the official page before you pay.
Full method: What the leases say → · Checking a rent rise? Rent increase calculator →
Sale prices, resale and off-plan, tower facts and developer photos: BUY DUBAI, our sister site for buyers. Rents: Dubai Land Department Ejari leases.